The Crusaders have lost three All Blacks first-fives eighths, but it's the midfield where they have a crisis heading into the new Super Rugby season.
Ryan Crotty has torn a ligament in his thumb and will miss the opening two rounds while Robbie Fruean's suffered a pectoral injury which will sideline him until April.
Coach Todd Blackadder would have expected to name the pair in midfield heading into round one against the Chiefs, but is keeping calm and carrying on.
"He's pretty tough, he's had to deal with these things before. He takes it in his stride," Blackadder said of Fruean, who was also dogged by a knee injury at the end of last year.
"He was just doing weights in the gym, it was at a testing level.
"We've got a few injuries we could focus on but we're not. We're just going to focus on the guys that are fit and ready to go.
"I'm still really confident the way we've got enough depth to cover those positions."
First-five Marty McKenzie's also struggling with a hip injury, while Israel Dagg is scheduled to return from a shoulder injury in April.
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