Soccer: Fingers crossed, I'll be at the Cup - Nelsen

All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen will almost certainly miss next month’s warm-up match against Mexico. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ryan Nelsen was last night cautiously optimistic he would be fit for the World Cup in South Africa after a major injury scare during Blackburn Rovers' latest English premier league match.

The 32-year national captain, who is absolutely vital to the All Whites' cause, left the field with what appeared to be a serious knee injury during Blackburn's 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Ewood Park.

Even his Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce, feared the worst, and a major injury would be the nightmare of all nightmares for the All Whites, who will face Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay in Group F in June.

Nelsen was about to have the injury scanned when he talked to the Herald, and said that while the initial prognosis was good, he couldn't be sure of not being sidelined for many months.

"I've had injuries before that didn't seem too bad at the time and turned out to be major," said New Zealand's only player in the premier league.

"The surgeons and doctors who looked at the knee after the game said there didn't appear to be anything major wrong structurally.

"I think the knee has hyper-extended, which could put you out for two or three weeks or up to 10 weeks.

"I was able to carry on for a few minutes before going off, which is encouraging, and if it had been really major such as an ACL [anterior cruciate ligament], it would have blown out completely. It hasn't swollen up too much but still, you never know with these things. It could still be something serious. We'll have to wait for the results of the scans.

"I shit myself when it first happened ... It was a game we really had to win. I've had a good run with injuries but if it is bad, well that's life."

Allardyce said: "We'll keep our fingers crossed, not just for us but for him."

The All Whites' medical team will get a full report from their Blackburn counterparts and NZ Football chief Michael Glading has no fears about the Rovers rushing Nelsen back too early.

"I think we can say catastrophe avoided," said Glading, who was informed by Nelsen's New Zealand manager, Hamish Miller, that the outlook was encouraging.

Nelsen will almost certainly miss the warm-up game against Mexico in Los Angeles early next month but there are still three major matches - against Australia, Serbia and Slovenia - in place closer to the finals.

To go to South Africa minus a fit Nelsen would be almost unthinkable.

Without him, the All Whites' fairytale hopes would be crushed and they would more likely be outclassed.

With him, they can dream what most say is the impossible dream, of making it to the second round.

Coach Ricki Herbert was not available for comment last night. He is among six New Zealand officials heading to South Africa for three days of World Cup workshops.

In-form Phoenix midfielder Tim Brown is likely to take over the captaincy in Nelsen's absence, and the All Whites will be forced to field a new defensive unit against Mexico.

Ivan Vicelich is sidelined by suspension, leaving Ben Sigmund and 19-year-old newcomer Tommy Smith from English League One side Brentford in the heart of the defence.