Wellington - Veteran New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen faces a battle to be fit forSunday's World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in Manama, a radio station reported on Monday. Nelsen, 31, who skippers the English side Blackburn Rovers, missed his team's 6-2 drubbing by Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday with a back problem suffered against Aston Villa last week.
As the New Zealand squad prepares to assemble in Dubai Tuesday to prepare for the Bahrain game, there must be some doubt over Nelsen's participation, the Newstalk ZB station reported.
It would be a bitter blow for Nelsen and his country. A veteran of 39 caps since making his international debut 10 years ago, the central defender missed the last Confederations Cup campaign in South Africa with a torn calf muscle.
