Chiefs lock Michael Fitzgerald is confident he and Matt Symons can fill the void left by injured teammate Brodie Retallick.

The All Black lock is likely to be out for between four to six weeks with a shoulder injury he suffered in the early stages of the Chiefs’ 40-16 Super Rugby win against the Crusaders last Saturday.

Fitzgerald and Symons formed an impressive partnership in the opening weeks of the campaign while Retallick was being rested as part of the All Blacks’ World Cup management plan.

Retallick’s short-lived return – he played the second half against the Brumbies and 10 minutes against the Crusaders – means that partnership now looks set to continue.

Retallick is not expected to make the Chiefs’ two-match tour of South Africa for games against the Stormers and Sharks which follows Friday night’s match against the Highlanders in Hamilton.

Fitzgerald and Symons’ combination with hooker Hika Elliott has helped the Chiefs to a 94 per cent success rate at lineout time. Only the Highlanders, who have played one game less, match them.

“I don’t want to sound too cocky or anything but I think we’re going pretty good me and Symo,” said Fitzgerald, who has signed for a club in Europe and will head north at the end of this Chiefs campaign.

Fitzgerald has been breaking franchise records in fitness and strength testing and credited the Chiefs competitive environment and hard work for the results on and off the pitch.

The 28-year-old has been described by assistant coach Tom Coventry as “hard-nosed” and “resilient” and will need to bring both of those elements against a Highlanders pack that prides itself on its physical approach.

But as well as hitting the gym and the training field this week, Fitzgerald has been hard at work studying the Highlanders lineout to find a weakness.

“I’ve seen their last couple of games and they have mixed up their lineouts quite well,” he said.