Chris Wood will miss the upcoming All Whites matches against Sweden and Qatar later this month as he continues to recover from injury.

Wood was one of the notable absentees in the 23-man squad named on Tuesday for the two games in Stockholm and Vienna.

New Zealand’s all-time leading scorer injured his quadricep before the first match against China in March and hasn’t played since, missing the reminder of the English Premier League season.

However, he can at least plan for his future, with his loan deal at Nottingham Forest made permanent last week, as they agreed a $30 million fee with Newcastle.

The squad is also without Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas, who both missed the March window to focus on club football as they recovered from long term injuries.

But there is a return for Bill Tuiloma and Ben Waine, while Wellington Phoenix’s Finn Surman is called up for the first time following a strong showing as captain of the New Zealand under-20 side at the Fifa U20 World Cup.

Ben Waine after scoring in his All Whites debut. Photo / Photosport

Francis de Vries also returns to the side for the first time in a year after a long rehabilitation following a knee injury.

Interim head coach Darren Bazeley has also cast the net wide among the goalkeepers, recalling Max Crocombe and Nik Tzanev for the first time since 2018 and 2021 respectively after consistently good performances in the English Football League this season.

“After two good results against China at home, these games represent a real test, but that is what this team needs right now to build the foundations leading into the qualification campaign for the 2026 Fifa World Cup,” Bazeley said in a statement.

“Sweden are 22 in the world, playing at home in front of a large crowd, so that will be a really good challenge for our players. Qatar are another top side with lots of experience gained as hosts of the last Fifa World Cup.”

Qatar are ranked 61 (New Zealand are 100) and have benefited from a huge programme of games over the last five years as they built towards their home World Cup.

All Whites squad

Joe Bell (13 caps) Brondby FC, Denmark

Michael Boxall (42 caps) Minnesota United, USA

Liberato Cacace (14 caps) Empoli FC, Italy

Max Crocombe (2 caps) Grimsby Town, England

Francis De Vries (6 caps) Eastern Suburbs, New Zealand

Callan Elliot (2 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand

Matthew Garbett (14 caps) NAC Breda, Netherlands

Alex Greive (9 caps) St Mirren, Scotland

Eli Just (15 caps) AC Horsens, Denmark

Clayton Lewis (23 caps) Macarthur FC, Australia

Max Mata (3 caps) Sligo Rovers, Ireland

Callum McCowatt (11 caps) FC Helsingor, Denmark

Tim Payne (32 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand

Nando Pijnaker (11 caps) Sligo Rovers, Ireland

Marco Rojas (44 caps) Colo Colo, Chile

Alex Rufer (8 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand

Oli Sail (8 caps) Perth Glory, Australia

Tommy Smith (50 caps) Colchester United, England

Marko Stamenic (13 caps) FC Copenhagen, Denmark

Finn Surman* (0 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand

Bill Tuiloma (36 caps) Charlotte FC, USA

Nik Tzanev (1 cap) AFC Wimbledon, England

Ben Waine (7 caps) Plymouth Argyle, England

*Debut All Whites squad

Fixtures

All Whites v Sweden: 5am, Saturday, 17 June - Friends Arena, Stockholm

All Whites v Qatar: 4am, Tuesday, 20 June - Generali Arena, Vienna