New Zealand defender Nando Pijnaker is in a race to ​be fit for the World Cup after ‌suffering a dislocated shoulder in Auckland ​FC’s 2-2 draw with ⁠Melbourne Victory in the A-League over the weekend.

Pijnaker was expected to be among the ‌centre-backs named in coach Darren Bazeley’s World Cup squad ‌for the June 11 to July ‌19 ⁠finals in the U.S., Canada ⁠and Mexico.

Auckland FC confirmed Pijnaker’s injury on Tuesday but said in a statement that the Netherlands-born ​27-year-old would seek ‌further opinion from a specialist. Dislocated shoulders can take up to 16 weeks to heal. New Zealand opens ‌its World Cup campaign against Iran ​on June 15.

Pijnaker joins injured New Zealand defenders Michael Boxall, ⁠Tommy Smith, Liberato Cacace and Francis de Vries on the sidelines, while midfielder ‌Sarpreet Singh is also nursing a knee problem.

There was also better news for Bazeley over the weekend as Chris Wood, New Zealand’s captain and top goal-scorer, played his first ‌match in nearly six months in Nottingham Forest’s ​1-1 Premier League draw with Aston Villa after recovering from knee ⁠surgery.

New Zealand will also play Egypt and ⁠Belgium in the World Cup’s group stage as the All ‌Whites return to the tournament for the first time since South Africa ​2010.

Published on Apr 14, 2026