Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has accepted the fact that Western Force star James O'Connor will not be joining his team next season.

McKenzie approached O'Connor in April as reports circulated the 20-year-old was unhappy in Perth, but now his management team have told the Reds he will not be moving to Brisbane for the 2012 season.

O'Connor was born on the Gold Coast, and attended Nudgee College, prompting some to speculate a move home to play with his friend and Wallabies team-mate Quade Cooper was on the cards.

Although it appears as though O'Connor will stay in Perth with the Force, the Melbourne Rebels are yet to announce they have given up hope of capturing the star's signature.

McKenzie said on Wednesday he had been resigned to the fact he would not be coaching O'Connor next season for some time.

"We've been contacted and he won't be at the Reds," he said.

"Where he is going to be I don't know."

"I've always said it is difficult to get people to leave and move around."

"The longer it goes on, the less likely it is."

"I have always been, I guess, suspicious he wasn't coming our way for some time because it's been dragging on."

"I've been thinking more laterally for some time."

The table-topping Reds, meanwhile, have some injury concerns ahead of their clash with the Force on Saturday night.

McKenzie has selected a 23-man squad for the trip west, with Rod Davies a big name to return after being out of action since April 16 when he injured a knee.

Davies' inclusion is a boost for the Reds, with backs Digby Ioane (concussion), Anthony Faingaa (hamstring) and Ben Lucas (knee) all due to miss.

Reds squad:
Forwards: Ben Coridas, Ben Daley, Saia Faingaa, Liam Gill, James Hanson, Scott Higginbotham, Greg Holmes, James Horwill (c), Radike Samo, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Adam Wallace-Harrison
Backs: Will Chambers, Quade Cooper, Rod Davies, Will Genia, Jono Lance, Luke Morahan, Dallan Murphy, Ian Prior, Dom Shipperley, Ben Tapuai