Wallabies player faces the rest of the season on the sideline

Injury-hit Wallabies winger Sefa Naivalu will miss the remainder of 2017 as he prepares to undergo shoulder surgery on Friday.

Naivalu dislocated his shoulder in the second half of Melbourne Rising’s 41-31 victory over the Greater Sydney Rams in the National Rugby Championship.

It was the 25-year-old’s first match back from an ankle injury suffered in Australia’s 40-27 defeat of Italy in June, when he scored two tries.

The Fiji-born flyer, who has won seven caps for the Wallabies since debuting in 2016, is expected to be sidelined for “four to five months”.

“I’m very disappointed to miss the rest of the year but I know that it’s the best decision for my career to fix my shoulder now,” Naivalu said.

“I don’t like being on the sideline so I will make sure that I do my rehab and get my shoulder right so I can be back and ready for next season.”

Australia meet South Africa in the Rugby Championship in Bloemfontein on Saturday following a 45-20 win over Argentina.

Wishing #SuperSefa a speedy recovery!
Naivalu will have shoulder surgery on Friday.
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— Melbourne Rebels (@MelbourneRebels) September 27, 2017