Rebels skipper ruled out with injury

Cape Town - The Rebels' season has gone from bad to worse with the news that their captain Nic Stirzaker has been ruled out for three weeks with an ankle injury.

Scrumhalf Stirzaker was excluded from the matchday 23 on the eve of the 44-3 humbling at the hands of the Southern Kings on Saturday, and the Melbourne-based side have now revealed that the 26-year-old will be sidelined for three weeks.

"It's some sort of bone fragment in Nic's ankle that flared up so I think he's going to be out for three weeks," Rebels' general manager of football operations Baden Stephenson told AAP on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, according to AAP, back-up scrumhalf Mick Snowden is out for six weeks with a leg injury.

This means that Ben Meehan is set to wear the number nine jersey while Harrison Goddard has been recalled from the Australian U-20 team.

"Harrison played particularly well for our under-20s team and did the whole pre- season with us so we've called him back," Stephenson said.

"It will probably be his chance to make a debut on Saturday.

Stephenson has reflected on what can only be described as a horror season for the Reds in which they've only won one game while bemoaning his side's injury-proneness.

"It has been relentless and we've had so many different types of injuries," added Stephenson.

"We thought by mid-season we should be getting a fair few back but unfortunately as they come back we continue to lose more."