All Blacks call in Malakai Fekitoa in wake of Sonny Bill Williams red

Sonny Bill Williams' impending suspension means the All Blacks will bring in a midfielder for the series decider against the Lions at Eden Park, with Malakai Fekitoa called into the squad.

Fekitoa was one of the more unlucky players to miss out on selection for the series, and his experience for what will be a white-hot atmosphere for the third test will be critically important with Ryan Crotty still unavailable with a hamstring injury.

George Moala was the other player potentially in the frame, but the selectors have gone for Fekitoa, and possibly could even start him in the midfield alongside Anton Lienert-Brown.

Ngani Laumape did a good job on his test debut at Westpac Stadium, four days after playing the Lions for the Hurricanes, but the selectors might seek to ease him into the test rather than start him.

Jack Goodhue is also in the mix as injury cover, but has yet to play a test and while the 22-year-old Crusaders midfielder is clearly talented and highly thought of by the selectors, it would have been a big call to throw him into the fray at this stage.

Williams will face the judiciary at 5pm today for his shoulder charge on Lions wing Anthony Watson in the first half of the visitors' 24-21 victory. The starting sanction for such foul play is a two-week suspension.

Earlier today, Hansen said he had decided on the player coming in but hadn't informed him yet.

"I've probably made it [decision]," Hansen said. "It's probably better that the person hears it from me rather than you."

Of Williams' judicial process, he said: "He'll plead guilty at this stage, but I don't want to go into it. It's a process.

"He's disappointed, not for himself. He accepts that he made a mistake. He's disappointed that he let the team down. One of our biggest mantras is 'team first' and he knows he let the team down but we can't go back and change it either.

"People make mistakes. It's a fluid game, it's a fast game, it's a physical game and unfortunately he made a mistake and we've got to move on from it."