Chris Wood is the notable inclusion in the All Whites’ squad to play at the W Cup in Abu Dhabi later this month.
On Monday (NZT) Wood appeared in his first English Premier League match for Nottingham Forest since late January, after missing five games with a hamstring injury. Given that layoff, it was unsure if he would makethe trip to the Middle East, where the All Whites will face Egypt (world No 36) and either Croatia (No 10) or Tunisia (No 41).
But Wood, who is always keen to play for his country, has been selected by coach Darren Bazeley, with a chance to add to his record 33 international goals.
“I spoke to him after the game [on Monday] and he said he felt great, didn’t feel any issues,” Bazeley told the Herald. “So it is looking pretty good but we will work with Woodsy to see how he feels re game time.”
His original injury was assessed as a six to eight week recovery but Wood is known for being a fast healer. Bazeley said the respective medical departments will continue to liaise with each other but Wood looks likely to play a prominent role in the first match at least, which is a considerable fillip for the All Whites.
The 24-player squad also sees recalls for Kosta Barbarouses, Dane Ingham, Ben Old and Oli Sail, who missed last November’s matches against Greece and Republic of Ireland. There is a debut call-up for Wellington Phoenix’s 18-year-old defender Lukas Kelly-Heald.
Defender Bill Tuiloma is a notable omission, along with striker Alex Grieve. Tuiloma has yet to appear for his MLS club Charlotte this season and was out of favour for much of last year, with his last appearance in July.
“He has not played a lot of football at his club for a while and picked up an injury pre-season,” said Bazeley. “They don’t stop for the window as well.”
Greive is currently on loan at Dundee United – in the Scottish Championship – which also doesn’t pause for the Fifa window. Bazeley said Grieve needed to “stabilise his career there” but added that Barbarouses was in form and had “earnt the call up”.
Marco Rojas, Joey Champness and Niko Kirwan were other recent All Whites to miss out, while James McGarry wasn’t considered as he returns from injury at Aberdeen.
“We are in a good place, better than we have been in a long time,” said Bazeley. “Hopefully the competition creates performance, the players that are in want to stay in and the players that are out want to get back.”
Ingham hasn’t featured in an All Whites squad since the home series against China last March but has impressed Bazeley with his recent form.
“He brings energy, he’s athletic and he is similar to Tim Payne, in terms of getting forward,” said Bazeley. Kelly-Heald has turned heads for the Phoenix, with 17 starts. He is seen as a long term central defensive option but has performed well at fullback.
The squad features eight players aged 23 or under (Tyler Bindon, Matthew Garbett, Kelly-Heald, Old, Alex Paulsen, Marko Stamenic, Finn Surman and Ben Waine) who will be eligible to represent New Zealand at the Paris Olympics.
The All Whites face Egypt on 23 March (7am NZT) at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE. The African team won’t include Liverpool star Mohammed Salah, who has been left out of their final squad after being included in the preliminary list. Bazeley conceded it was a double edged sword, as it would have been great to face him but also removes a major opposition threat.
If New Zealand beat Egypt they will face either Croatia or Tunisia in the W Cup final on March 27 (7am NZT). Bazeley expects the Europeans to be at full strength, including names such as Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Josko Gvardiol.
The third place play off is on 26 March (7am NZT) at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
