Martin Guptill has confirmed he has a "moderate" tear in his calf but hopes to be available for the Blackcaps' limited-over series against Australia.
The Blackcaps announced on Monday that an MRI scan confirmed the 35-year-old has a tear in his left calf.
Guptill left the field injured during Auckland Aces' Ford Trophy defeat at the hands of Wellington last week.
Blackcaps' medical staff described the tear as "moderate" and said his condition was improving but would be monitored during his recovery process.
Guptill is racing the clock to be fit for the Blackcaps' series against Australia, where they will play three One Day Internationals and a sole T20 starting on January 30.
The medical staff have tentatively targeted a return for the Blackcaps' limited-overs opener for the Aces Super Smash match on January 22 against the Central Stags.
The white-ball specialist has been a fixture in New Zealand's ODI and T20 squads for more than a decade and will be a key cog for the side that travels across the Tasman that won't feature any of its red ball internationals.
