Super Rugby: Chiefs and All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick to miss three more weeks with wrist injury

The Chiefs will be without Brodie Retallick for at least three more Super Rugby games.

The All Blacks lock has missed the side's past two games – both ending in defeats – after injuring his wrist in the Chiefs' win over the Blues on April 13.

Coach Colin Cooper confirmed that Retallick tore a ligament in his wrist, but said they are hopeful he will be back for their match against the Reds in three weeks.

"Brodie is probably another three weeks away," he said. "So we're looking probably at the Reds. He's got a torn ligament in his wrist so he's about three weeks away."

Retallick's injury is yet another setback for the struggling Chiefs, who had All Black utility back Damian McKenzie ruled out of the season, the likely the Rugby World Cup, after rupturing his ACL.

Brodie Retallick injured his wrist in the Chiefs' win over the Blues on April 13. Photo / Photosport

Cooper also said Sam Cane is on a similar timetable as Retallick, as the flanker continues to recover from neck surgery.

"Sam Cane is coming back and he could be three weeks away also. So hopefully those two can enter the stage in three weeks time."

After appearing to return to form after a horror start to the season, the Chiefs appear to have fallen back to a slump, with two straight losses against the Lions and the Hurricanes.

Cooper said his side's poor start was the most disappointing part of the 47-19 loss, and is something the team is working on improving.

"Seventeen minutes, we were 20 points down," Cooper said of his side's poor start in Wellington last week.

"The tries were soft tries – they were tackles that should have been made.

"We had a bad start [against] the Sunwolves, the Lions – so we're really trying to address why we're starting so poorly.

"I thought we'd improved - when you have disruptions late in the week and you're losing key players, communicators like Webby [halfback Brad Weber) and Sean Wainui's such a great communicator, it's hard to really replace those guys."

The Chiefs face the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday.