All Blacks: Kahui ruled out of squad

All Blacks midfield prospect Richard Kahui has been ruled out of the first squad selection. Photo / Getty Images

Another All Blacks midfield prospect has gone down, with centre Richard Kahui today ruled out of the first squad selection of the year with injury.

Kahui, 24, had a chest injury assessed by All Blacks team doctor Deb Robinson, who said he is likely to spend a further three weeks recovering.

Robinson confirmed the Chiefs centre had suffered a cartilage tear by his first rib on the left hand side of his chest. He has been rehabilitating since the injury occurred during the Chiefs' Super 14 home loss to the Waratahs three weeks ago.

"While I'm obviously disappointed, I just need to get on with my rehabilitation," Kahui said in a statement.

"At the moment I can't do contact training or much upper body training but I can still work on skills and other parts of my game during this time."

The midfield is becoming a cursed area for the All Blacks, with second five-eighth Ma'a Nonu having suffered a knee injury which rules him out of tests next month against Ireland and Wales.

Kahui had been touted as a possible stop-gap replacement in the No 12 jersey ahead of Sunday's naming of a 26-man All Blacks squad but coach Graham Henry will now be forced to look elsewhere.

The unlucky Kahui has played just eight tests since debut on the wing against England in 2008.

He spent the second half of 2009 recovering from a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the test equation.

Meanwhile, in other news related to the Chiefs' All Blacks hopefuls, hooker Aled de Malmanche is still rehabilitating from a blow to his shoulder which he injured in the final-round Super 14 match against the Blues.

Fullback Mils Muliaina has had the cast removed from his thumb which he broke in the first half of the competition.

- NZPA