Devon Conway is in doubt for the first Test with a thumb injury sustained in New Zealand's T20 loss against Australia.
The Black Caps are reeling from a spate of injuries and unavailabilities that hurt their T20 hopes against Australia, and threatens to flow over to the higher-priority Test series.
While Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Matt Henry are all certain or likely starters in the first Test which begins on Thursday at Wellington's Basin Reserve, there is concern over Conway.
The T20 wicketkeeper was hurt while taking an Adam Milne delivery in the second over of Friday's T20, handing the gloves to Finn Allen and leaving the match for medical treatment.
Without a conclusive result from scans, he's headed home to Wellington to visit a hand specialist ahead of the opening Test.
"There is a little bit of a concern because we're not 100 per cent sure how its going to respond," coach Gary Stead said.
"It was clicking a bit and (doing) some strange things.
"It will come down to pain management and what he can do ... making sure he feels comfortable at the crease."
Will Young looms as a likely replacement if Conway doesn't get up.
Ravindra, who missed the second T20 with a sore knee, is likely to sit out Sunday's third T20 in preference for the Basin clash.
Stead said there was "not as much concern" for the up-and-comer, though his "niggly left knee" would be closely cared for.
Matt Henry and Daryl Mitchell, who was rested from the T20s, were "tracking well", according to Stead, who is "very comfortable that they'll be good to go."
There is no doubt Williamson, a generational talent who has just one Test win over Australia in his 14-year career, will play.
His unavailability for the T20 series was due to a different issue: staying by his partner's side as she gave birth.
"Kane and Sarah had a baby girl earlier in the week so delighted for both of them and another baby to add to the nursery that we have at the Black Caps," Stead said.
Given the spate of injuries, New Zealand have made squad changes for Sunday's T20 match, a dead rubber given Australia's unbeatable 2-0 series lead.
Tim Seifert will come in despite being previously ruled out of the series with a torn adductor, while pace bowler Jacob Duffy has also joined the squad as cover.
Stead said the nature of the short-form game and the big-name players to come in meant there was unlikely to be a confidence hit from a T20 series loss ahead of the Test series.
"T20 cricket is pretty fickle, and that first game could have easily gone the other way," he said.
"You move on very, very quickly."
