South Sydney skipper Greg Inglis has been granted leave from the club due to a virus and ongoing shoulder issue, as reported by NRL Media.
The 32-year old is unlikely to play in Saturday's meeting with New Zealand following the ongoing shoulder complaint and illness that has resulted in him being away from the club for the last week.
Rabbitohs teammate Sam Burgess told NRL Media on Tuesday that Inglis simply needed some space.
"He's not been well last week into this week," Burgess said.
"The shoulder has been giving him grief. We've given him the week off. Greg's a busy man and in Sydney you can get a bit consumed.
"He's not been great the last three to four days so we've given him a bit of time."
Burgess added that all the press surrounding Inglis had been unwarranted.
"I just care about Greg and don't care about the hype around it," Burgess said.
"I care about Greg as a person and feel there's pressure put on him externally. He's just getting his body right at the moment.
"I just think everyone step back a little bit and give him some time."