Papua New Guinea's Kumuls will host Lebanon and Samoa in Port Moresby during the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, but Alex Johnston will not play.
The South Sydney winger requires surgery for finger and knee injuries sustained late in the NRL season, News Corp reports.
Johnston, the game's greatest-ever try-scorer and one of PNG's most popular players, would have been selected automatically.
His absence leaves PNG considering Cowboys pair Zac Laybutt and Robert Derby, Nene Macdonald, Josh Feledy, Dudley Dotoi and Robert Mathias.
Dotoi and Mathias represented the Kumuls at last year's Pacific Championships, while the others provide options from the NRL, Super League and lower grades.
Melbourne Storm star Xavier Coates is also unavailable after missing the entire season with multiple injuries and will not return until early 2027.
PNG will face Lebanon on October 17 and Samoa on October 24, adding importance to the tournament before the nation's NRL team begins in 2027.
Johnston is among seven players signed by the PNG Chiefs, alongside Brian To'o, Zac Lomax, Joseph Manu, Matty Lees, Connor Watson and Jarome Luai.
Coates had been considered after extending his Storm contract through 2027, but the Chiefs' recruitment of several backline players makes that move unlikely.