Soccer: Nelsen trains lightly in Dubai

All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Skipper Ryan Nelsen participated in light training with the All Whites in the United Arab Emirates as the squad built up for their World Cup soccer qualifier against Bahrain on Saturday.

New Zealand and Bahrain will play the first leg of the qualifier at the National Stadium in the Bahraini capital of Manama on Sunday morning (NZ time).

The return leg will be in Wellington on November 14.

Nelsen has been under an injury cloud since missing Blackburn's weekend fixture in the English Premier league, reportedly because of a back injury.

But in a positive sign, he trained lightly with the other members of the squad yesterday.

The All Whites squad of 19 were completed when the final eight players arrived in Dubai yesterday and the team held a training session.

"Every second we have together is priceless," All Whites coach Ricki Herbert said.

"It's important to get everyone into the environment and switched on to what we need to do on Saturday night."

Temperatures topped 30 degrees centigrade in a short but sharp mid-morning session but Herbert was not concerned.

"We've played in similar conditions - if not more humid - during the qualifying campaign in the Pacific so we'll adjust quickly, and it'll be a productive week on the training pitch."

- NZPA