SOCCER: NZ coach hopes Wood has avoided serious injury

New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley has provided an encouraging update on the condition of Chris Wood, following the forward's early exit from Nottingham Forest's Europa League match against Porto on Thursday. Despite limping off the field before halftime, Bazeley reassured fans that Wood’s injury does not appear to be serious.

Wood, who is set to captain the All Whites at the World Cup in North America, was substituted in the first half after a heavy tackle from Porto defender Jan Bednarek, who was promptly shown a straight red card. The 34-year-old striker, New Zealand’s leading goalscorer, had only recently returned to action after recovering from knee surgery that had sidelined him for an extended period.

"While you obviously never want to see our players go down injured, the impact was on the other knee to where he recently had surgery," Bazeley stated in a message to New Zealand media. "He will be assessed by Forest, but it doesn't sound like it is as serious as it first looked, thankfully."

Nottingham Forest triumphed 1-0 in the second leg of their quarter-final match, advancing 2-1 on aggregate to the next stage of the competition.

Looking ahead to the World Cup, New Zealand will face challenging opponents in Group G, including Egypt, Belgium, and Iran. The team’s first match is scheduled for June 15 against Iran. This marks New Zealand's return to the World Cup after an 16-year absence since their last appearance in South Africa in 2010.

With Wood’s health now in focus, New Zealand will be hoping for his swift recovery as he plays a crucial role in the team’s World Cup aspirations. -Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters