All Blacks coach Steve Hansen looks likely to face a severe test of his squad's depth for the first test against France this week after a string of injuries over the last few days further diminished his already depleted stocks.
Hansen has called in locks Luke Romano and Tom Franklin and flanker Matt Todd into the squad as cover.
The All Blacks were always going to be without captain Kieran Read, who is still recovering from back surgery, but the number eight has been joined on the casualty list by a handful of other first-choice players.
The latest was Brodie Retallick, who suffered a pectoral injury playing for the Waikato Chiefs in Super Rugby on Saturday.
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper said the injury was serious and Retallick was unlikely to face the French in Auckland on Saturday.
Stand-in skipper Sam Whitelock, Retallick's second-row partner, must also be rated doubtful for the Eden Park contest after missing the Crusaders' last three matches because of concussion symptoms.
Cooper had marginally better news about All Blacks openside flanker Sam Cane, who, he said, might not have been a late withdrawal from the Chiefs' bench with an abdominal strain on Saturday had the match been a playoff.
Crusaders number eight Jordan Taufua (calf) and centre Jack Goodhue (hamstring), both named in Hansen's squad for the France series, were unable to take to the field to face the Chiefs because of injuries.
There was some good news for the coach with Liam Squire, who is among the contenders to replace Read at the back of the scrum, cleared to play after having a charge of dangerous play dismissed by a disciplinary committee.
The Highlanders flanker had been cited for leading with his shoulder when clearing out TJ Perenara from a ruck on Friday but the committee decided the Wellington Hurricanes scrumhalf had dropped to his knees just before impact.
Hansen last week called up Chiefs prop Karl Tu'inukuafe to his squad as cover for Tim Perry (hamstring) and will have been relieved to hear the loosehead was suffering only cramp when he was taken off the field in Hamilton.
First-choice loosehead Joe Moody recently returned from shoulder surgery, while Kane Hames, who won eight caps last year, has not played at all this season as he battles concussion.
Goodhue's injury is the latest to hit Hansen's midfield options after Sonny Bill Williams was ruled out for the series on Friday after undergoing knee surgery.
Ryan Crotty, who with Williams forms Hansen's preferred centre partnership, also missed Super Rugby action for the Crusaders on Saturday because of concussion.
The consensus over the last few years is that New Zealand could beat most of their international rivals with a team of reserves such is their strength in depth and the world champions could be in the position of having to prove that against the French on Saturday.