Reid likely to miss Peru matches, says pundit

Further doubt has been cast over Winston Reid’s availability for their World Cup football qualifier but it appears likely Chris Wood will play against Peru.

Wood was rested for Burnley’s 1-0 English Premier League win over Newcastle, after he tweaked his hamstring the weekend before last.

UK Talksport editor Tom Rennie was not confident of Reid’s availability as the defender continues to sit out with a calf strain, which is usually a four-week recovery period.

“I would be surprised if he was fit to play,” Rennie said. “I know he misses a lot of international football - frankly Winston Reid missed too much football. If he was able to stay fit he’d be playing for Liverpool, he’d be playing for Manchester United but he misses 10 to 12 games a season. Often with a calf injury.

“He’s got another one right now. He’s unlikely to play for West Ham this weekend and I think it’s going to be another two to three weeks before we see Winston Reid again. He’s likely to be unavailable for those games against Peru,” Rennie told Martin Devlin on the Devlin Radio Show.

Rennie was more confident about Wood making the trip.

“I don’t think it will be anything to be overly concerned about,” he said, adding Wood was at Burnley’s home game against Newcastle wearing a tracksuit. “It isn’t a tear, it isn’t a pull, it is a tweak of that hamstring. I’d be surprised if he trained across this week but potentially he could be in the squad for the game next weekend.

“With the international break coming up as well giving further rest for him off the back of next weekend before he has to play again. I think he could get a good 10-12 days in and would probably be fit for that international break and hopefully for the Premier League after it.”

Meanwhile, Peru says next month’s intercontinental playoff for a place at the 2018 World Cup begins with a clean slate in terms of yellow cards, but New Zealand officials are trying to clarify the situation.

The South Americans asked football’s world governing body Fifa to make the ruling, arguing they had played 18 qualifying matches while New Zealand played just seven.

However, a spokesman for Football NZ says they were seeking clarification as they understand the yellow cards for the playoffs will stand.

At least three New Zealanders had picked up yellow cards during qualifying, meaning a second would rule them out of the next match.

The teams meet in Wellington on November 11, before the second leg in Peru’s capital of Lima four days later to decide who goes to next year’s finals in Russia.