FRONTLINE Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi has been grounded from next month’s Bledisloe Cup Tests with a ruptured bicep.

The powerful ballrunner was heading into surgery on Monday night to repair the damage sustained to his left bicep during the June Test series against Ireland.

Kerevi was sent for scans last Sunday after a subdued game in the Queensland Reds’ 39-16 loss to the Blues in Auckland.

The results turned up a tear that will rule him out for 12-to-16 weeks and the entire six-Test campaign through The Rugby Championship.

The major injury setback will almost certainly cost him the October Test against the All Blacks in Yokohama and the European tour in November as well.

A calculated return to play during the latter stages of the lower-level National Rugby Championship shapes as the only rugby he will play for the rest of the year.

“Absolutely gutted but unfortunately my season has come to an end,” Kerevi posted on Instagram.

“Time to fix the body and rest up.”

Most pressing is the Reds finding a centre for Friday night’s clash against the Melbourne Rebels at Suncorp Stadium.

With Chris Feauai-Sautia and Izaia Perese both grounded with knee injuries there is no ready-made solution.

Slotting tough-tackling Jono Lance to inside centre, shifting Duncan Paia’aua to outside centre and promoting Aidan Toua at fullback is one possibility.