Injured Reid ruled out of Confed Cup

The All Whites have suffered a massive blow a month out from the Confederations Cup, with captain Winston Reid ruled out with a knee injury.

The West Ham defender had a bone growth in his left knee that had caused discomfort for the past six weeks and reduced his training frequency to just once a week.

Reid has had an operation and his recovery is expected to take eight to 12 weeks, which will have him back in time for the 2017-18 English Premier League season kicking off on August 12.

“I am really disappointed to be missing the Confederations Cup, but if I had gone there and played, it would not have got better,” said the 28-year-old.

“If the Confederations Cup was nine or 10 days away, I’d probably have given it a go, but the fact it is another month away and it’s not getting any better made my decision.

“We gave it a try for three weeks with some different methods to see if it would react in a different way but, unfortunately, it didn’t.”

Reid, the only Kiwi playing in the Premier League, is one of New Zealand’s most irreplaceable players. He was an integral part of the defence that carried the All Whites to an unbeaten record at the 2010 World Cup, the last time the team featured at a major international tournament, and would have been counted on to perform a similar role in Russia.

Leeds striker Chris Wood will assume the captaincy in Reid’s absence, while the rearguard will be anchored by Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith, with Andrew Durante, Themi Tzimopoulos and Michael Boxall also expected to play key roles.