Ryan Thomas to miss All Whites' FIFA World Cup warm-up matches, complicating midfield selection puzzle

New Zealand midfield duo battling injury ahead of World Cup

Ryan Thomas (hamstring) and Joe Bell (calf) miss New Zealand's pre-World Cup friendlies against Haiti and England, both targeting the June 15 opener vs Iran. Bazeley fields Rufer and rookie Bayliss as cover, with two midfield starters entering the group stage short on competitive minutes.