Wallabies playmaker Ben Donaldson will take on the British and Irish Lions on Saturday evening after being rushed back to Perth following an injury to Test veteran Kurtley Beale.

Donaldson, 26, was in Sydney preparing for next week’s first Test of the year against the Flying Fijians in Newcastle, but a hamstring injury to Beale saw the Western Force reach out to the Wallabies to put in a request for their star playmaker to return home.

On Thursday morning, all three parties – the Force, Wallabies and Donaldson – determined that it would be best that the playmaker return.

He will fly to Perth on Thursday afternoon ahead of their Saturday night clash.

The decision came less than 24 hours after Donaldson said he wanted to take on the Lions but added that it wasn’t his call.

“Obviously, it’s kind of out of the players’ control,” the playmaker told reporters from the Wallabies’ team base in Double Bay on Wednesday.

“We just do what the coaches want. We get the scheduling. We come into camp. There’s four of us Force boys who are here, five still back there.

“There’s still a good share who are back there ready to rip in this weekend. They’re super excited, as are the other boys in the squad who get an opportunity to play this weekend against the Lions.

“It would have been awesome to play. Any game you get to play against the Lions team is pretty cool. But like I said, we’re in camp now. We’re preparing for this Fiji Test next week. I’m really excited to watch the Force boys play this weekend.”