An injury to scrum-half Danny Care put further pressure on England Thursday after they were already forced to name a weakened team to face the All Blacks at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.
With a slew of first-choice players unavailable because they were involved in last week's Premiership decider, there are eight changes to the starting 15 that turned out for England's last fixture against Italy in the Six Nations.
The 47-Test veteran Care, a central figure in England's growing preference for attacking rugby and by far the most experienced back in the side, injured a shoulder in training and will have to undergo a fitness test on Friday.
"He's 50-50 at the moment," coach Stuart Lancaster said after naming his Test line up, adding the fitness test would be decided on contact work.
"To go into a Test against the All Blacks with anyone who's not 100 percent physically and mentally would be a poor decision."
If Care is ruled out, Ben Youngs will be promoted off the bench with Lee Dickson, who has only just arrived in New Zealand after playing in the Premiership final, going on to the bench.
Lancaster conceded his team faces a "massive challenge" against the world champions but insisted they were well prepared and ready to give their all.
"It doesn't get much bigger than playing New Zealand at Eden Park, where they haven't lost in 20 years, but those selected know what they have to do," he said.
Lock Geoff Parling and flanker James Haskell, neither of whom have played for England in more than 12 months, were recalled, along with powerhouse centre Manu Tuilagi, who was relegated to the reserves for the Italy game.
Rugby league convert Kyle Eastmond will start at inside centre, replacing the injured Billy Twelvetrees, while Lancaster named the uncapped Joe Gray (hooker) and Chris Pennell (fullback) on the bench.
The three-Test Freddie Burns was preferred at fly-half over Danny Cipriani who has been included in the reserves, ending a six-year absence from the England set-up after a fine season for Sale.
England have only beaten the All Blacks on home soil twice in 12 attempts, in 1973 and 2003.
However, they will take heart from a record 38-21 win over the New Zealanders at Twickenham in December 2012.
Team (15-1)
Mike Brown; Marland Yarde, Manu Tuilagi, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny May; Freddie Burns, Danny Care; Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw (capt), James Haskell; Geoff Parling, Joe Launchbury; David Wilson, Rob Webber, Joe Marler.
Replacements: Joe Gray, Matt Mullan, Henry Thomas, David Attwood, Tom Johnson, Ben Youngs, Danny Cipriani, Chris Pennell.
Source: AFP