All Whites captain Chris Wood is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.
The 34-year-old striker for Nottingham Forest had been sidelined since mid-October with a knee injury and confirmed the setback in a social media post shared from his hospital bed.
"The Christmas I didn't expect, you can never know what football throws at you," Wood wrote.
"From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything.
"Truly gutting and frustrating that I'll be on the sideline for another period of time. It's what's needed to come back stronger and better to help my teammates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe."
Wood did not disclose the nature of the surgery.
His last appearance came in Nottingham Forest's 3-0 loss to Chelsea on October 18. The timing is a blow for both the club and the country, with Wood a key figure for Forest and a long-standing leader of the All Whites.
The All Whites' next games are being played at home in late March in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in June.
All New Zealand games at the FIFA World Cup will be available to watch live and free from home on TVNZ+ and TVNZ1.
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