Giteau is recovering from surgery on his right knee

The 23-year-old, recovering from knee surgery, was left out of the initial 33-man party for the tour opener.

"It's unlikely I'll be ready to play next week but we'll see how it responds before making a call on it," he said.

If he is unfit, winger Lote Tuqiri could play alongside Stirling Mortlock in a rejigged midfield.

Former rugby league star Tuqiri played some games at outside centre on last year's Northern hemisphere tour and says he would be happy to fill in again if called upon.

"If they want to put me there, I'll be glad to play with the number 13 jersey on," Tuqiri told the Daily Telegraph.

"It's certainly different from the wing and something you have to get used to.

"I tried to do that at the end of last year on the European tour without a lot of luck on the field but I thought I didn't go too bad."

Australia squad:
A Ashley-Cooper, A Baxter, R Blake, M Chisholm, S Cordingley, R Elsom, G Fairbanks, S Fava, A Freier, M Gerrard, G Gregan (captain), Daniel Heenan, G Holmes, A Kanaar, S Larkham, C Latham, T McIsaac, S Mortlock, S Norton-Knight, W Palu, J Paul, C Rathbone, B Robinson, M Rogers, N Sharpe, C Shepherd, G Shepherdson, G Smith, S Staniforth, L Tuqiri, J Valentine, D Vickerman, P Waugh.