GOLD Coast captain Gary Ablett has withdrawn from Saturday's Queensland derby against the Brisbane Lions with a calf injury.

 

In a major blow to the Suns' hopes of beating their QClash rivals, the Brownlow Medal favourite has been replaced by Jared Brennan.

 

It will be Brennan's first senior game since round nine.

 

Ablett is believed to have sustained the injury during the week but was still expected to play.

He missed Friday's final training session, but coach Guy McKenna was not concerned at the time.

"Some of them at that age choose to train on the last day or don't, or save themselves," McKenna said.

But Ablett had scans on Friday that revealed the bad news.

Gold Coast has defeated the Lions only once in the clubs' five meetings, losing their earlier clash this season by two points.

Shortly after his withdrawal was announced on Friday night, Ablett tweeted that he would miss "hopefully just this week".