Colin Cooper has poured cold water on the speculative talk that former All Blacks first five-eighth Aaron Cruden could make a shock return to Super Rugby with the Chiefs this season.
"I don't see that as a forseeable option. He's contracted [to Montpellier], so we'll look at what we've got in our own group, in our region, and around the country," the Chiefs coach said on Tuesday.
Damian McKenzie (knee) and Tiaan Falcon (Achilles) are gone for the season, and Jack Debreczeni is a likely absentee for the coming weeks after suffering his second concussion in a month in last Friday's 23-17 loss to the Lions, leaving the Chiefs seriously short of playmakers ahead of facing the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.
An emergency call for Cruden, who is reportedly seeking a move away from France after struggling with form and injuries, was mooted over the Easter weekend as an option for the All Blacks and the Chiefs after McKenzie's injury ruled him out of the Rugby World Cup later this year.
There are, however, several factors which make Cruden's potential Chiefs comeback all the more unlikely – for this year at least.