New Zealand football giant Chris Wood has been rushed home with a thigh hematoma, a turn of events that has left the New Zealand national team without a core firepower for the warm-up matches in China. According to The Courier, Chris Wood's absence is almost a foregone conclusion, which undoubtedly poses a huge challenge for the national team. Currently, two core players in the New Zealand team have already announced their abandonment of the game, which provides a good opportunity for the Chinese team not to be missed.
However, just last week, Chris Wood suffered an unfortunate injury in the Nottingham Forest match and was unable to participate in the first round of warm-up matches despite his return to New Zealand. As New Zealand's leading scorer, his absence has undoubtedly weakened New Zealand's attacking power. Without this top scorer, New Zealand's forward line seems to have lost its soul instantly.
Unfortunately, New Zealand's other main striker, Ben Wayne, was also unavailable, leaving New Zealand's attacking end even more stretched. Players such as Barbarosses have had to step up to the plate, but that clearly won't fill the void left by Chris Wood and Ben Wayne.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's veteran Smith was suspended for a red card in the first round of warm-up matches, which left the New Zealand team without another key player. Before the match has even started, New Zealand already has two key players unavailable, which is undoubtedly a big advantage for the Chinese team to win the match. Facing a weaker opponent, Jankovic and the Chinese team have the opportunity to show their confidence in the match, which is not only a chance to win, but also a challenge to improve their international ranking.
