Black Caps coach Gary Stead has reiterated he will give Kane Williamson "every chance" to prove his fitness before the World Cup squad is named in two weeks but conceded he still had a long way to go.
Williamson's World Cup appeared to be over in April after he was forced to undergo surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he suffered in the Indian Premier League.
But Williamson has been racing against the clock to recover and has already made his way back into the batting nets with the World Cup just under two months away.
As such, the 33-year-old batter is in the UK with the New Zealand squad as they prepare for a four-match Twenty20 series against England starting later this week.
"We got about two weeks from now, until we until we name that side," Stead said.
"We're going to give him every chance and I guess use that full amount of time he's in full rehab mode.
"He's back batting in the nets again, which is great to see. So he's progressing really well but again, there's a lot of work for him still to do to make sure he gets to where we need him to be."
Stead added they would also weigh up Williamson resting the early stages of the World Cup if it aligned with the final stretch of his recovery.
"There's a chance that even if Kane was named he may not be available right at the start of the tournament, but he also might be, and he also might not be ready," he said.
"Of course we want him at the World Cup. There is that bigger picture in mind though, that we want Kane Williamson fit for the rest of his career. So there'll be honest conversations that Kane and I will have with each other."
Stead also said all-rounder Jimmy Neesham would skip the T20 series against England to return home for the birth of his first child.
Cole McConchie, who was supposed to go back to New Zealand after playing in the warm-up wins against Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, will replace Neesham in the squad.
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