Aaron Smith, Liam Coltman and Shannon Frizell are all back into full training, though they have played no part in the pre-season games.
All Blacks are on restricted minutes in the first three games of the competition. They can play a maximum of 180 minutes in the opening three games and must be eased into the season.
Even if the three All Blacks do start, they are not likely to play a whole game. It also appears as though one or two of them may not even make the flight to Canberra when the Highlanders play the Brumbies next week.
The All Blacks also have to miss two games in the regular season and that is on top of the three byes the side enjoys.
Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown said the All Black players were all available, but who would start and who would come off the bench would depend on the rest of the team selections.
The Highlanders are taking on the Sharks at Forsyth Barr Stadium and it will be the start of a new era for the Highlanders now so many new players have arrived at the franchise.
The Sharks beat the Bulls 23-15 on a sweaty day in Durban in the opening round while the Highlanders had a bye.
Brown said the match had been a kicking and defensive battle which it was hard to read much into.
Brown is back after two years away and said he was loving getting back into his work.
The assistant coach first filled that role at the Highlanders from 2014-16 before he moved into the head coaching role for 2017.
He then left to be the assistant coach to Japan in 2018-19 before moving back to the Highlanders on a three-year deal.
Brown said to media yesterday coming back to the Highlanders and Dunedin, it felt as if he had never left and he was looking forward to the season.
There was plenty of new stuff to work on and ways to develop the game. There were some new players, which was exciting for the team and as a coaching unit, trying to get them up with the play.
The new recruits brought lots of energy.
The players have had an extra week thanks to the bye at the start of the season but the real fun and work would start this week.