The Wallabies' hooker woes intensified on Sunday with news that Tatafu Polota-Nau is set to miss the rest of the season and may need ankle surgery.
Scans have shown Polota-Nau suffered a syndesmosis (high ankle sprain) injury in the first half of Saturday's 32-25 Rugby Championship win over Argentina on the Gold Coast and he faces two months on the sidelines.
It is a major blow for both Australia and the injury-plagued New South Wales hooker, who was making his return from a knee ligament tear in his 50th Test match.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, who is also missing Stephen Moore and Nathan Charles for the rest of the year, will again be forced to rely on fourth-string hooker James Hanson for the September 27 Rugby Championship Test with South Africa in Cape Town.
"I'm frustrated for him," McKenzie said. "You'd love him to have a clear run and just play football.
"He did a great job coming off no football for a while, that's why we put him in there.
"He was equipped to handle it and he has the experience and he made a big difference."
The dilemma for the Wallabies is whether to gamble on rushing Polota-Nau back for the start of the four-Test tour against England, France, Ireland and Wales.
"We don't think it's surgical at the moment but it's clashing with that (European tour) timetable so it's making it difficult," McKenzie said.
"The question is whether it goes to surgery or not, that's always going to be four weeks (recovery) just to look inside, but we're not at that point yet."
McKenzie said he would take three hookers on the two-Test tour of South Africa and Argentina and hopes to have Waratahs reserve Tolu Latu back from a broken arm to vie for a place with Saia Faingaa and Josh Mann-Rea.
In a double blow from the desperate win over the Pumas, winger Peter Betham is also in serious doubt for November's European tour after again injuring his broken foot.
Scans have detected a fracture but team officials said it is unclear how bad the damage is. Betham scored his first Test try in the Wallabies' win.
Betham joins Henry Speight (hamstring) on the sidelines but experienced utility Adam Ashley-Cooper is expected back from a neck problem to play against the Springboks while Joe Tomane (hamstring) is also now fit again.
Australia's wing depth has been tested almost as much as the hookers, with Pat McCabe (retired), Chris Feauai-Sautia (shoulder), Nick Cummins (Japan club rugby) and James O'Connor (France) also unavailable.
"The winger-hooker curse continues," McKenzie said. "We get them back and then they disappear again."
Lock Sam Carter is also being assessed for an ankle problem before the 28-man tour squad is named this week.
Source: AFP