All Blacks veteran Dan Carter has been scrubbed from contention for the third Bledisloe Cup Test in Brisbane due to ongoing injury issues.

Coach Steve Hansen wants five-eighth great Carter to continue rehabilitating from the problems that have restricted him to just 40 minutes of NPC rugby since fracturing his leg during the Super Rugby final 10 weeks ago.

The 32-year-old will miss another game for Canterbury, against Taranaki on Sunday, due to shin pain.

Coach Scott Robertson reckons Carter could be ready to play in their semi-final the following weekend but Hansen says any chances of a Test recall have disappeared.

Hansen told Radio Sport that the world record Test pointscorer should now target an All Blacks return against the United States in Chicago on November 1.

“We won’t take him to Brisbane, and DC believes this as well, that we are better to get him going and confident and happy in himself in his game,” Hansen said.

Carter’s last All Blacks test – his 100th – was against England in London 11 months ago.

Hansen is likely to restore Aaron Cruden at No.10 for the Wallabies Test in place of Beauden Barrett.

Cruden was dropped from the Rugby Championship Tests away to Argentina and South Africa after missing the team flight out of Auckland.

Hansen confirmed outside back Ben Smith will be rested from the Brisbane Test next week and will also miss the Chicago game because of fatigue, meaning he will next play against England at Twickenham on November 8 at the earliest.

World class finisher Smith’s massive workload over the last two years was catching up with him, Hansen said.