Winston Reid will make his first appearance in an All Whites starting 11 tomorrow morning (NZT) as coach Ricki Herbert makes four changes for the clash against world number 15 Serbia in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Reid, 21, who plays for Danish club FC Midtjylland, made his senior international debut from thebench against Australia in Melbourne last week.
He will now slot into a back three where he and 20-year-old Tommy Smith - another change from the Socceroos clash - flank captain Ryan Nelsen as Herbert looks to find his best side for a World Cup opener against Slovakia on June 15 and inject fresh blood after the Socceroos bruising encounter.
The other changes are forced on Herbert with teenage striker Wood replacing Chris Killen, who has jetted back to the UK to get married, and Jeremy Christie coming in for injured vice-captain Tim Brown in midfield.
"Serbia could be one of the hardest games we have, including the World Cup," said Herbert.
"It'll be a tough one to back up on after a lot of energy went into the Australia game, all the travelling and settling in, but it's the level of competition that we've asked for and we've freshened the team a bit with some players."
New Zealand: Mark Paston (GK), Tony Lochhead, Winston Reid, Ryan Nelsen (captain), Simon Elliott, Shane Smeltz, Leo Bertos, Rory Fallon, Tommy Smith, Chris Wood, Jeremy Christie.
Substitutes: Ben Sigmund, Ivan Viceleich, Glen Moss (rgk), Andy Barron, Michael McGlinchey, Aaron Clapham, David Mulligan, Andrew Boyens, Jeremy Brockie, James Bannatyne (rgk), Cole Peverley.
