Captain Sam Cane will miss the Chiefs' Super Rugby Aotearoa opener against the Highlanders, due to a lower back strain.
The Chiefs confirm Cane will play no part in Saturday's clash at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium, but that the injury isn't serious and won't keep the new All Blacks captain off the field in the long term.
Cane is the second high-profile All Black to be scratched from the revised, 10-week domestic competition, after news that Hurricanes' star Jordie Barrett is also unlikely to feature against the Blues on Sunday.
All Blacks halfback Brad Weber is the likely candidate to replace Cane as captain.
Crowds will be in attendance at both venues, after New Zealand moved to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 on Tuesday.
The games will be the first professional rugby contests in the world to take place amid the ongoing pandemic.
