Utility forward Nick Crosswell will captain the Highlanders in their pre-season match against the Chiefs in Queenstown on Saturday.
Crosswell, who led Manawatu to promotion to the first division of the ITM Cup last season, will lock the scrum with Bay of Plenty newcomer Culum Retallick.
Crosswell played all his rugby for the Highlanders last year as a loose forward, mostly at blindside flanker, but injuries have forced him into the second row.
Specialist lock Jarrad Hoeata is out for an indefinite period with a chest injury but his partner, Josh Bekhuis, has made an encouraging recovery from a hip operation and has been named in the reserves.
Kurt Baker, of Taranaki, who did not get on the field at all for the Highlanders last year because of a back injury, has recovered and he will start at fullback.
There is a makeshift midfield with Ben Smith, by preference a fullback, and his former team-mate at Kings School in Dunedin, Glenn Dickson, partnered in midfield.
The Highlanders have almost run out of midfielders with Kendrick Lynn, Shaun Treeby and Siale Piutau all injured and Tamati Ellison still committed to his Japanese club.
There is still no sign of captain and prop Jamie Mackintosh, who is recovering from a pelvis operation.
On the positive side, Hosea Gear will make his first start for the Highlanders, on the left wing. He missed the first pre-season match because of his commitment with the New Zealand sevens team in Wellington.
Aaron Smith and Jason Rutledge get starts at halfback and hooker respectively, ahead of the vastly-experienced Jimmy Cowan and Andrew Hore, who are both in the reserves, while Doug Tietjens will start instead of John Hardie on the openside flank.
Players not able to be considered were Ellison and James Haskell (in Japan) and the injured Hoeata, Lynn, Piutau, Treeby, Colin Slade and Kade Poki.
The Highlanders lost 17-49 to the Crusaders in Greymouth last weekend while the Chiefs had an impressive 36-0 win over the Melbourne Rebels in Geelong.
Chiefs co-captain Liam Messam will not travel to Queenstown because of a calf strain and hooker Hika Elliot is recovering from a neck injury. Sonny Bill Williams will not rejoin the Chiefs until Monday after his boxing commitments this week.
Highlanders: Baker, Telusa Veainu, Ben Smith, Dickson, Gear,Sopoaga, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu, Tietjens, Adam Thomson, Retallick, Crosswell (captain), Bronson Murray, Jason Rutledge, Ma'afu Fia. Bench: Hore, Chris King, Hoani MacDonald, Elliot Dixon, Brayden Mitchell, Bekhuis, Cowan, Chris Noakes, Buxton Popoali'i Nemia Kenatale.