The All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu is out of rugby for the rest of the year after rupturing a chest muscle in the side's loss to South Africa at the weekend.
Mealamu had an MRI scan yesterday which All Blacks Doctor Deb Robinson says confirmed he had ruptured a tendon on the left side of his chest and will undergo surgery on Friday.
Dr Robinson says Mealamu will out of rugby for at least four month, ruling him out of the remainder of the Tri Nations as well as the All Blacks end of year tour.
Meanwhile, a number of All Blacks who have returned from South Africa will be available for selection for their provincial sides this weekend.
Luke McAlister's been named in the reserves for North Harbour while Aled de Malmanche and Brendon Leonard are available for Waikato.
Bryn Evans is set to play for Hawkes Bay, Cory Janes available for Weallington, John Afoa for Auckland and Tanerau Latimer for Bay of Plenty.
Players available for next weekend also include Kieran Read, Jason Eaton, and the Wellington trio of Piri Weepu, Neemia Tialata and Rodney So'oialo.
The All Blacks will come together for a one-day training camp in Auckland next Wednesday before assembling in Sydney on Sunday week for the Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia the following Saturday.
