Soccer: Nelsen cleared of serious injury

Ryan Nelsen could be sidelined for up to six weeks. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The All Whites have cause for an early celebration - their captain and star defender Ryan Nelsen has been cleared of a serious knee injury that had threatened to put him out of the World Cup in June.

Nelsen told the Herald from England last night that a scan had shown there was no serious structural damage to the knee, which looked to have been badly injured during Blackburn Rovers' clash against Bolton Wanderers over the weekend.

Specialists say he will be sidelined for six weeks. Nelsen said that those estimates were "usually pessimistic" and he might be able to return to Premier League action in a month.

The scan revealed a torn muscle behind the knee and bone bruising in the joint. No operation will be necessary.

"I've seen [on TV] how it happened now and it doesn't look pretty ... looking at that I'll take this news 100 per cent," said Nelsen.

"On one hand, it is still a bit frustrating but in another way this is the best case scenario. Having a wee break like this before the World Cup might also be a good thing. I think it will be six weeks at the most."

Nelsen is already into rehabilitation work on the knee and said: "You work harder when you are injured compared to when you are playing. They become very long days."

Nelsen wrenched the knee while making a challenge.

The initial fear was that he had serious ligament damage. Suddenly, the buoyant mood of New Zealand football was hit with the prospect of the worst possible news.

Going to South Africa without the outstanding Premier League defender would be a body blow to the campaign, and would turn one of the great adventures in New Zealand football into a virtual mission impossible.

Nelsen will miss the All Whites' match against Mexico on March 4.

Fellow defender Ivan Vicelich is also out through suspension, and goalkeeper Mark Paston is injured, forcing coach Ricki Herbert to field a radically altered side from the one which qualified against Bahrain.

Nelsen will return to lead the All Whites in the World Cup warm-up matches against Australia in Melbourne on May 24, and Serbia and Slovenia during a two-week camp at altitude in Austria.

Nelsen missed last year's Confederations Cup in South Africa because of a calf injury.

Herbert - in South Africa on a pre-World Cup mission - was so concerned about the latest problem that he immediately contacted the Blackburn medical staff.