Wellington midfielder Cole Peverley has been drafted into the All Whites World Cup soccer squad as standby for injured vice-captain Tim Brown.
Brown will undergo surgery in Auckland tomorrow after breaking a bone in his right shoulder while making a tackle during the All Whites' 2-1 loss to Australia at
Melbourne on Monday.
Peverley participated in a training camp held in Auckland earlier this month but missed selection to the World Cup squad of 23 announced by coach Ricki Herbert.
A member of the New Zealand Olympic team in Beijing in 2008, Peverley was to leave this evening for the All Whites' pre-World Cup camp in Austria.
A decision on Brown's availability for the World Cup, which starts on June 12, will be made after consultation with his surgeon later next week, New Zealand Football said in a statement today.
Brown would need a few days to recover after surgery and was not available for comment in the meantime.
However, NZF said he wanted to thank all of the people who have sent personal messages, which were overwhelming and very much appreciated.
NZF chief executive Michael Glading told NZPA that Brown had until June 14 to prove his fitness -- when coach Ricki Herbert had to name his final squad for the World Cup, 24 hours before the All Whites' opening match against Slovakia.
Glading had been told by doctors that surgery on Brown was a straightforward procedure.
"It involves screwing the broken part of the shoulder bone back on and he should make a full recovery."
Because Brown was young and fit, he was expected to recover at the shorter end of the scale, Glading said, but there were no guarantees.
Brown, 29, had said last night on his return to Auckland he was trying to be stay positive.
"But there's also the chance I won't be able to go. If that's the case, I'll put my hand up straight away and someone else can take my place. I'm not going to muck anyone around."
If Brown does not make the World Cup, he will be a significant loss for Herbert.
Herbert said Brown would be given every opportunity to rejoin the squad, but the time needed for rehabilitation could rule that out.
In Europe, the All Whites will play matches against Serbia at Klagenfurt, Austria on Sunday and against Slovenia at Maribor on June 5 before heading to South Africa.
- NZPA
