Chiefs' playmaker Damian McKenzie is likely to sit out this week's match against the Hurricanes after suffering a hip injury in Saturday's win over the Blues.
In a North Island derby, the Hamilton-based Chiefs defeated the Blues 21-19 in their fifth straight win of the season.
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper said McKenzie was a work in progress but could be ready for Saturday's clash in Wellington.
"If he's not in this week, he'll definitely be right for the next week," Cooper said.
He was also optimistic co-captain and centre Charlie Ngatai would return to the field after spending Saturday's game on the bench with a hamstring injury.
The former Hurricanes coach of eight years said he hadn't given much thought to facing his old squad, but would instead focus on challenging their expansive style of play.
"We're excited, we've got a lot of confidence from five wins," he said.
"The leaders are the key to that. They're having a bigger voice - not just what we're doing on the field, but off the field. It's great as a coach to sit back and see the drive that they're giving."
Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane said while it was disappointing to have had injury setbacks in the squad, it was giving younger players a chance to step up.
"We've got some guys who're in their first year who haven't had much Super footy [and] are playing exceptionally well," he explained.
"So the depth of the squad is actually relatively strong still - it's good to see."
Newshub.
