The Blues have lost hard-working utility Tom Robinson to a knee injury that has required surgery.
The pace-setting Blues now wait to see if the flanker-lock will be able to make it back before the end of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Robinson suffered a meniscus tear in the Blues’ opening win over the Hurricanes and was forced to miss their subsequent win over the Chiefs.
Scans showed a need for surgery and Robinson had cartilage removed from the knee on Monday.
Blues forwards coach Tom Coventry said Robinson’s lively game and personality would be missed as they look to push on from their promising start.
The Blues host the Highlanders at Eden Park on Saturday night with another bumper crowd expected.
“He’s such a great kid in our environment. He’s our energy bloke – if there’s a yahoo to be had it’ll come from Tom so we all feel for him being cut down in his stride,” Coventry told media at the Blues training session in Auckland.
“He’s hobbling around today so he’s pretty keen to get himself back onto the bike and then on to his feet in the next three to four weeks.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a long injury but it might take him out of a significant amount of this short programme we have now.”
Coventry said the initial diagnosis was for a six to eight week recovery but they were hopeful Robinson could return inside that time frame to play before the shortened season finishes.
In other injury news, the Blues will have All Blacks prop Karl Tu’inukuafe turn out for his Takapuna club side this weekend as he comes back from a hamstring injury.
With the Blues having a bye next weekend, they are hopeful that Tu’inukuafe could be available for their clash with the Crusaders in Christchurch on July 11.
