Wood to miss All Whites games against Sweden, Qatar

AUCKLAND: Chris Wood will miss the upcoming All Whites games against Sweden and Qatar later this month as he continues to recover from injury.

Wood was one of the notable absentees in the 23man squad named on Tuesday for the games in Stockholm and Vienna.

New Zealand’s alltime leading scorer injured his quadricep before the first match against China in March and hasn’t played since, missing the remainder of the English Premier League season.

However, he can at least plan for his future, with his loan deal at Nottingham Forest made permanent last week, as they agreed a $30 million fee with Newcastle.

The squad is also without Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas, who both missed the March window to focus on club football as they recovered from longterm injuries.

But there is a return for Bill Tuiloma and Ben Waine, while Wellington Phoenix’s Finn Surman is called up for the first time following a strong showing as captain of the New Zealand under20 side at the Fifa U20 World Cup.

Francis de Vries also returns to the side for the first time in a year after a long rehabilitation following a knee injury.

Interim head coach Darren Bazeley has also cast the net wide among the goalkeepers, recalling Max Crocombe and Nik Tzanev for the first time since 2018 and 2021 respectively after consistently good performances in the English Football League this season.

“After two good results against China at home, these games represent a real test, but that is what this team needs right now to build the foundations leading into the qualification campaign for the 2026 Fifa World Cup,” Bazeley said in a statement.

“Sweden are 22 in the world, playing at home in front of a large crowd, so that will be a really good challenge for our players. Qatar are another top side with lots of experience gained as hosts of the last Fifa World Cup.”

Qatar is ranked 61 (New Zealand are 100) and has benefited from a huge programme of games over the past five years as it built towards its home World Cup. —

❛ Sweden are 22 in the world, playing at home in front of a large crowd, so that will be a really good challenge for our players