Damian McKenzie will make the switch from fullback to first-five for the Chiefs when they meet the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday night.

Employing Damian McKenzie at first-five for the Chiefs against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday night has sparked other backline changes.

McKenzie will have veteran Stephen Donald outside him at second-five, with Anton Lienert-Brown shifting out to start at centre in Melbourne for the table-toppers, following their third win on the trot when they saw off the Hurricanes in Hamilton last Friday.

Twenty-one year-old Northland outside back Solomon Alaimalo will make his Super Rugby debut on the left wing while Shaun Stevenson will start at fullback.

GETTY IMAGES Shaun Stevenson will get his first start of the Super Rugby season at fullback for the Chiefs against the Melbourne Rebels on Friday.

Assistant coach Neil Barnes said McKenzie "prefers to play 10" and this week was a chance for him to impress with regular first-five Aaron Cruden on the bench.

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"With Damian shifting to first-five, we thought it'd be good to have Stephen's experience outside him to give us a voice and a calming influence there," Barnes said.

"With Damian at 10 and if it was Johnny [Faauli] at 12, it's probably a little bit too inexperienced in that area for us."

Barnes said Alaimalo was "really impressing the coaches with what he's doing at practice" and it was a prime time to give James Lowe a week off to rest a back niggle.

Stevenson, hugely impressive in the franchise's Brisbane 10s pre-season tournament win, was "someone we'd probably have liked to have given more opportunities before now," Barnes said.

"He'll be able to light it up from the back like Damian does."

In the front row, Bay of Plenty hooker Sabastian Siataga will make his first start for coach Dave Rennie's side, with Tom Sanders and Liam Messam joining Sam Cane as the loose forward trio.

Siataga's presence is designed to help reduce the workload of Hika Elliott, but the use of the rookie rake meant no other changes for the tight five.

"We're starting to get some good combinations there and we did talk about giving some of the younger fellas a crack this week, but we've got a fair bit of respect for the Rebels scrum," Barnes said.

"We've stuck with the big fellas around him."

Messam was rested last week and Barnes said it was always the intention to leave Michael Leitch out this week before the No 8 was suspended for a week for a high-tackle late in the win over the Hurricanes.

Tim Nanai-Williams dislocated his shoulder against the Canes and is out for four to six weeks.

The Chiefs top the table after their three New Zealand derby wins against the Highlanders, Blues and the Hurricanes while the Rebels are win-less after being hammered by the Blues and the Hurricanes before a bye last week.

"Anybody that's watched the Rebels play their first two games will have seen they've been quite physically dominant in the first 20 minutes," Barnes said.

"Both games they played, even though they lost heavily they were in front. On their home turf, I imagine we'll have to go the whole 80 minutes to put them away."

Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Toni Pulu, Anton Lienert-Brown, Solomon Alaimalo, Stephen Donald, Damian McKenzie, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam, Sam Cane, Tom Sanders, Brodie Retallick, Dominic Bird, Nepo Laulala, Sabastian Siataga, Kane Hames. Reserves: Hika Elliot, Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, Atu Moli, Mitchell Brown, Mitchell Karpik, Finlay Christie, Aaron Cruden (co-captain), Johnny Faauli.