Rojas back but injured Singh to miss World Cup playoff
The return of a couple of veterans and the injury-enforced absence of a key playmaker are the eye-catching features of the All Whites squad named yesterday ahead of the Fifa World Cup Intercontinental playoff with Costa Rica next month.
As tipped in the Herald last Friday, Marco Rojas returns for the first time since November 2019.
The 30-year-old has been in strong form for Melbourne Victory this season and offers priceless experience, though the competition for places in his position is deep.
Defender Michael Boxall is also back after missing the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Qatar in March with injury.
Midfielder Sarpreet Singh is the glaring omission. The 23-year-old has been battling a persistent groin injury for months. He returned to Auckland three weeks ago for daily treatment with the New Zealand Football medical staff but was always long odds to make the cut, given the time frames.
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Clayton Lewis has completed a remarkable return from injury to get the call-up, after suffering a serious ankle injury less than two months ago.
Lewis is one of seven A-League players, with Phoenix teammates Tim Payne, Oli Sail and Ben Waine joining him from the capital. The rest of the squad is based in the Northern Hemisphere.
All Whites coach Danny Hay has opted for a 26-man party, to cover for injuries and Covid contingencies, with two preparation games (versus Peru and a still-to-be-confirmed opponent), before the Costa Rica showdown on June 15 (NZT).
That means there are few surprises, with 24 players who featured in the Oceania tournament and 13 from the Oly Whites squad that reached the quarter-finals in Tokyo.
However, there are some unlucky players. Striker Andre de Jong has been part of most squads in Hay’s tenure but misses out, with Logan Rogerson and Ben Waine edging the South African-based forward.
Goalkeeper Michael Woud is also excluded, with uncapped Matthew Gould chosen as the third custodian behind Stefan Marinovic and Sail. Woud was the first-choice keeper in Tokyo and started in the senior games against Bahrain and Jordan but has slipped down the order, not helped by some high-profile errors in the silver fern.
Nikko Boxall started two games at the Oceania tournament but has been squeezed out this time.
Hay has opted for increased cover at right back, with Payne, Niko Kirwan and Dane Ingham, which indicates he has yet to fix on a preferred starter in that position.