Tony Brown
Slade, who broke his jaw for the second time this year in the 40-18 win over the Melbourne Rebels, has returned to New Zealand following surgery in Melbourne on Sunday and is expected to be out of action for 10 weeks.
Brown, the 36-year-old former All Black, was called into the squad in February after injuries to Slade and replacement first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga and featured in four matches for the Highlanders earlier this season.
He was released from the squad after the defeat of the Brumbies on April 1 once Sopoaga had recovered from the shoulder injury that had kept him on the sidelines.
