KEY POINTS:
Fulham soccer midfielder Simon Elliott has lost his battle to be fit for the All Whites' trip to Costa Rica and Venezuela this month.
Elliott, 32, had hoped to make his international comeback during the two-match itinerary, but a rare achilles injury, which has sidelined the Wellingtonian for the entire English Premiership season, will keep him out of the matches.
He was now targeting the All Whites' mid-year tour of Europe, where fixtures against Wales and Ukraine have been confirmed.