Damian McKenzie will miss the World Cup after suffering an ACL injury while playing for the Chiefs against Blues in Super Rugby over the weekend.
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen said that the back could be out for eight to nine months as a result of the injury.
"He's still young enough to make probably the next two (World Cups)," said Hansen.
It's just important that he gets his knee right and takes the time to be able to come back and achieve the dreams that he wants to achieve.
It's sad for him but obviously creates a dream for somebody else. You've got to expect injuries and there will be more than just him, I would suspect.
McKenzie, who turns 24 this Saturday, has won 23 caps for New Zealand since making his debut against Argentina in 2016. He started at fullback for his side's defeat to Ireland in Dublin last November.
INJURY UPDATE | #AllBlacks coach Steve Hansen reveals that Damian McKenzie will be out of rugby for 8-9 months due to a ruptured ACL sustained playing for @ChiefsRugby. pic.twitter.com/Z8VBtsEb0X
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) April 15, 2019
Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
