All Blacks kingpin Brodie Retallick faces 6-8 weeks on the sideline with a broken thumb, suffered during the Chiefs' Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Crusaders on Saturday.
The giant lock exited the game after about 30 minutes, nursing his left hand, and the Chiefs may now be without him for up to two months, ruling him out of the trans-Tasman campaign and making him a marginal proposition for the competition playoffs.
That timeline should see him return for the All Blacks three-test series against Ireland in July.
Retallick, 30, has posed his x-ray on Instagram, declaring: "Broken thumb from the weekend... pretty frustrating, but will be back soon."
In his absence, the Chiefs are well covered at lock, with Tupou Vai'i now an 11-test All Black and Josh Lord called up for last year's northern tour with the national team.
More to come
All Blacks coach Ian Foster already faces a tense few weeks, as he monitors the health of star first-five Beauden Barrett, who has struggled with concussion symptoms the northern tour and was forced from the field with a head knock in the Blues win over the Highlanders on Saturday.
Early indications are Barrett suffered no brain injury from the tackle collision.
Join us at 3:30pm Sunday for live updates of the Chiefs v Hurricanes Super Rugby Pacific clash
