Injuries are plaguing the Highlanders as they prepare for their Super Rugby showdown against the unbeaten Hurricanes.

They will be without their three most highly-rated props and their only two specialist openside flankers for Friday night’s home game, which shapes as the match of the round.

Ma’afu Fia is out for the season with ruptured knee ligaments, Kane Hames is serving a five-week suspension and Ross Geldenhuys broke a thumb during the win over the Waratahs last weekend.

Josh Hohneck now becomes the senior prop and Canterbury youngster Daniel Lienert-Brown has been added to the squad for the remainder of the campaign.

Shane Christie remains sidelined after re-injuring his hamstring in the warmups last weekend while John Hardie was carried off with a dislocated ankle.

Otago openside flanker James Lentjes has been added to the squad.

Elliot Dixon will probably move to openside flanker although Dan Pryor and Gareth Evans are other options.

Head coach Jamie Joseph says the biggest challenge is dealing with the injuries.

“We have a lot of belief in our side but we also recognise we don’t have a lot of stars so we have to work really hard, as we’ve done so far after the rusty start against the Crusaders.

“The pleasing thing is that each week we are learning and getting better. The downside is the injuries.”

Joseph said the Hurricanes represented the Highlanders’ biggest challenge so far.

“They’re unbeaten, injury-free and at full-strength. They’re now a very structured and organised team and Ma’a (Nonu) is playing his best Super rugby for some seasons. There are a lot of in-form All Blacks and they are a much-improved team.”

Joseph has to rest his three All Blacks – Aaron and Ben Smith and Malakai Fekitoa – for the mandatory two games during the competition but he made light of the situation on Wednesday.

“We’ve got a bye after the Stormers next week – that will do them,” he quipped.