Regular coach Luiz Uehara is in the United States, and another Brazilian, regular goalkeeper Jeferson Potrich, will be in charge of Varsity.
Rated the most conservative student team for many years, jealously guarding its miserly defensive record of four goals conceded in eight matches, University threw away any exam blues last week and leapt into scoring mode with a 4-0 win over Northern.
The students have a game in hand, after playing eight matches to Caversham's nine, and maximum points could boost Varsity almost level with coach Tim Horner's crew.
And while Tonga Park gives home advantage, the heavy ground may not suit Caversham's free-flowing passing game.
Regular goalscorer Callum Flaws will not be available either. Along with several other Otago players, he will be on the way to Rio, heading for the Fifa World Cup in Brazil.
Several other clubs will be depleted by players heading overseas, which could introduce a random factor in the next few rounds.
But Caversham's reserve team leads division two by nine points, and coach Horner will have a host of aspiring substitutes on hand.
In the first round, Caversham beat University 1-0 thanks to a 67th minute goal by Sam Collier, and not having entered the Chatham Cup means that Horner's team will be fresh and raring togo, after a week off.
Another tight match will be between Roslyn-Wakari and second-placed Dunedin Technical at Ellis Park.
Between them, these teams scored nine goals last week, so spectators should see some action, as Technical seeks revenge for its 3-2 loss to Roslyn in the first round.
Coach Aaron Burgess has not had a smooth ride this season after losses to Roslyn, Caversham (5-1) and University (1-0). But a recent revival has earned Technical three wins on the trot, boosting scoring statistics with a 16-goal total, and clean sheets against Green Island, Queenstown and Mosgiel.
Roslyn coach Colin Thom has at least a trio of players missing in Rio for the next few weeks, but sees this match as an opportunity to test his team's depth, and add to last week's 4-1 win over Green Island.
The Caledonian Ground hosts Northern and Green Island, respectively sixth and seventh in the league. Northern's form has dipped with no goals scored in the last two games, and seven conceded.
Malcolm Fleming's Green Island has little better form after a string of losses, but can still claim bragging rights after a 2-1 win over Northern last time.
Mosgiel hopes to get the season back on track at Memorial Park with a win over Queenstown. One goal scored in the last three matches, and 10 conceded, has had coach Andrew Brook cracking the whip at training.
Queenstown coach Jamie Whitmarsh is struggling to translate good training sessions into good match results, but conceding an average of over three goals per game makes each match a mountain to climb.
