Queensland must push through the first half of the Super 12 season with a new centre pairing after Reds veteran Daniel Herbert was told he faced at least six weeks on the sidelines.

Herbert underwent knee surgery on his 29th birthday, expecting to return in four weeks to chase selection in his third World Cup campaign.

But an arthroscope on his right knee revealed more damage, leaving Herbert out for six to eight weeks for an injury which hardly seemed a problem when he felt a twinge at training last week.

"It's no way to spend my birthday," Herbert said.

"It's a blow but I'm a very positive person. It's been a bad start for me but it's a long season and hopefully it will all end well."

Herbert is likely to miss both Super 12 matches against Australian teams, robbing him of vital chances to impress Wallaby selectors.

He was already resigned to missing the Super 12 season-opener against the ACT Brumbies on February 22, cancelling his clash with Wallaby rival Stirling Mortlock, while the NSW Waratahs clash on March 29 also looks out of reach.

New Reds coach Andrew Slack, already dealing with the loss of hooker Tom Murphy to a season-ending knee injury, must now find a centre pairing which will hold steady for the Reds during their tough start to the season.

Slack had already pencilled Steve Kefu and uncapped 20-year-old Gene Fairbanks into the squad to meet the Crusaders and it's uncertain whether the young pair will be the first choice when the Brumbies come to Ballymore.

Fairbanks is a Goondiwindi product and he began pre-season training just hoping to nail a place on the Reds bench.

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