Dan Carter will miss the Crusaders' opening Super 14 warm-up match against the Hurricanes.

The New Zealand fly-half strained a calf muscle at training and will sit out the match at the tiny South Island town of Motueka.

Scrum-half Kahn Fotuali' has been troubled by a strained ankle but is expected to start, but flanker Jonathan Poff has withdrawn from the wider training group because of a shoulder injury.