The Blues are expect to welcome back a couple of All Blacks for their return home, when they face the Cheetahs in a Super Rugby Round Six match on Saturday.
Midfielder Ma’a Nonu is expected to be available, while loose forward Jerome Kaino is also due to be ready.
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Jamison Gibson-Park, Baden Kerr and Hayden Triggs are also expected to be fit.
Lock Patrick Tuipulotu will miss two weeks with a knee injury, suffered in the 36-39 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg at the weekend.
He’ll have an MRI scan after the team arrived back in Auckland.
Prop Charlie Faumuina and wing Tevita Li will be assessed after arriving home for back pain and a wrist injury respectively.
Li will have scans on returning, with a hand injury – suffered the week prior, in the loss to the Bulls in Round Four – slow to settle down.
A Blues statement on Monday said five players are “anticipated to be fit” to face the Cheetahs on Saturday.
That includes 88-Test midfielder Nonu, who underwent off-season ankle surgery, and 48-Test loose forward Kaino, the 2011 World Cup standout who has returned from a club stint in Japan.