Steve Hansen believes Warren Gatland will call for reinforcements so the British and Irish Lions can run two full match squads in New Zealand.
All Blacks coach Hansen expects the Lions to add as many as five or six players to their touring squad to cope with the demand of the three-Test series.
The Lions opted not to call up a replacement for Scotland fullback Stuart Hogg, who suffered a cheek fracture in Saturday's 12-3 Crusaders win. Head coach Gatland has appeared satisfied with his remaining squad of 40 players -- but All Blacks boss Hansen still thinks the Lions will swell their ranks.
"I think he is about to bring a few extra players out to give himself the ability to play two squads," said Hansen of Gatland's Lions plans.
"He's at the stage where he wants to do that. I guess he will bring them out from the UK."
Gatland has been adamant from the outset that the New Zealand tour must not split into obviously separate midweek and Test line-ups.
The Wales coach and the Lions generally have learned from Sir Clive Woodward's error in New Zealand in 2005 of running a Test squad and midweek group, both with differing agendas.
Gatland was able to hand all 41 players in his squad a starting berth across the opening three matches of the 10-clash tour.
The Lions face the Maori All Blacks on Saturday, with the first Test in Auckland slated a week later and the focus is honing in on his front-line XV.
The tourists have made no suggestions whatsoever about bolstering the ranks in their squad, though Wales are currently in New Zealand ahead of facing Tonga in Auckland on Saturday.
Never shy about indulging in possible mind games, Hansen's latest say on all things Lions was to claim Gatland's men now possess a clear split between the Test line-up and the midweek men.
Gatland has been clear however that Test places are still up for grabs -- with Johnny Sexton starting at fly-half against the Maori for example and still well able to squeeze his way into the Test side.
The Lions also believe that their back-row stocks run suitably deep to cope if tour captain Sam Warburton were unable to be fully match sharp enough to start the first Test.
Despite all that information Hansen still believes the Lions' ranks are diverging, in the wake of Tuesday's 23-22 loss at the Highlanders.
"I think there is a clear difference between their two teams -- their midweek team and their Saturday team," said Hansen.
"It was a good game of footy on Tuesday night in Dunedin and both teams participated in that and it could have gone either way.
"So I don't think they have lost too much ground in that department. But there is definitely a difference between the two squads in the way they are performing."