The Blues' All Blacks contingent will be available for the start of Super Rugby Pacific, albeit in a reduced capacity.
After a three-month, end-of-year tour that saw them play on three separate continents, the national team have been afforded a longer pre-season break than their Super Rugby teammates.
For the Blues, new captain Dalton Papalii, Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Akira Ioane, Nepo Laulala, Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu, Karl Tu'inukuafe and Ofa Tu'ungafasi have only recently begun pre-season training, several weeks after their teams assembled.
That delay will see the Blues stars managed back into the team environment, with the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman champions relieving their burden early in the new competition.
One All Black that won't be available for the season opener, though, is Beauden Barrett - still recovering from concussion suffered in New Zealand's loss to Ireland back in November,
But speaking before his side's first pre-season encounter against the Hurricanes at Wellington, MacDonald confirms the door is by no means shut on the All Blacks appearing in the opening round.
"They're available for the first round, but with reduced minutes, so we're gonna build them back up, " he says. "They're not playing pre-season, so we've got to manage them back in.
"For some guys, that might need a little bit of extra conditioning or whatever - they might not be around in the early rounds or two.
"We've got a plan for all the players that we'll sit down and talk to them about, when we get down to Queenstown, but within the first round, you're going to see All Blacks on the grass."
The Blues open Super Rugby Pacific against newcomers Moana Pasifika on February 18, as the competition heads south for its initial rounds.
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