New Zealand boss hopeful Chris Wood has avoided serious injury after latest setback

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]New Zealand[/a]'s captain and leading ‌goalscorer is set to play a key ‌role for the All Whites at the World Cup in North America, with ‌their first game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a] set ⁠for June ‌15.[/p][p]The 34-year-old, who only returned to action ​this month following a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury ​which required surgery, was substituted early in the first half after a heavy ⁠tackle by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-porto/S2NmScGp/"]​Porto[/a] defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bednarek-jan/l4MMmL5S/"]Jan Bednarek[/a], who was shown a straight red card.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Forest[/a] won the second leg of their quarter-final 1-0 to ‌[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fc-porto-S2NmScGp/nottingham-UsushcZr/?mid=ve27R6OM"]advance 2-1 on aggregate[/a].[/p][p][b]"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,"[/b] Bazeley said in a statement to New Zealand media.[/p][embed guid="97af6bb7-cd15-4bf9-b8e7-813a9a31d3f3" url="https://x.com/NFFC/status/2044883171892756605" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"He will be assessed by Forest but ‌it doesn't sound like it is ​as serious as it first looked, ‌thankfully."[/b][/p][p]New Zealand will also face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] in Group G as they return to the World Cup for the first time since the ⁠2010 edition in ⁠South Africa.[/p]