The New Zealand national team has been dealt a major blow after the defender and captain Ryan Nelsen has been ruled out of the friendly match with China this week. New Zealand were set to take on China in a friendly match this week looking to improve the team even further. It has been a good couple of months for the national team after they have recently gone unbeaten since the start of the season. New Zealand are currently unbeaten in the last five matches, while they have also won all these matches as well. However, the match against China for set to be a major test for the team before they take on New Caledonia when the World Cup qualifying resumes in March.
New Zealand Football’s blow in the form of Ryan Nelsen has been confirmed by the high performance manager Fred de Jong, who has said that the medical staff will be taking on the precautions necessary in order to get the QPR defender back to full fitness. The 35-year-old is regarded as one of the best players for New Zealand of all time. As a result, he will be extremely crucial for the team when the World Cup qualifying matches resume in March. Fred de Jong has said that the team will be looking to bring the defender at least in November if not in March.
“Ryan Nelsen is a key asset to our campaign to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil. Ryan is 35 years old and we want to do all we can to make sure he is fit to play in our World Cup qualifiers in March and again in November next year if necessary,” said the high performance manager Fred de Jong. New Zealand are expected to be the first team to qualify from the oceanic region.