CJ Bott in action for the Football Ferns. Photo: photosport
The Football Ferns have been rocked ahead of their matches against Mexico and the United States, losing CJ Bott and Grace Wisnewski to injury.
Head coach Michael Mayne has also finalised his coaching team for the rest of the cycle leading up to the 2027, starting with two international friendlies in Mexico.
A New Zealand Football update said experienced Wellington Phoenix defender Bott and Denmark-based midfielder Wisnewski had been forced out due to injuries picked up ahead of the clash against the home side in Mexico City on Friday afternoon (NZT).
The pair have been replaced by uncapped Wellington Phoenix fullback Lara Wall and Canada-based former Phoenix defender Rebecca Lake.
Lara Wall (R) in action for the Wellington Phoenix. Photo: photosport
Wall, 25, impressed in her maiden professional campaign last year with the Phoenix, playing in all 23 of their A-League matches.
Lake played two seasons for the Phoenix before signing a contract last month to play for the Vancouver Rise.
The second match against Mexico is in Ciudad Juarez on Monday, before New Zealand face the United States in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday.
Coaching team in place
The matches will be the first involving Mayne's new assistant coach, English woman Jenni Foster, the senior team coach at Women's Super League (WSL) club Everton.
Foster will combine the Everton role with her new Football Ferns duties.
Before joining Everton, Foster held assistant coach roles with English clubs Leicester City and Bristol City, who were promoted to the WSL during her time with the team.
Foster joins assistant coaches Jenny Bindon and Sam Wilkinson, as well as goalkeeping coach Will Britt, who have all been involved with the New Zealand setup this year.
Michael Mayne addresses the Football Ferns at halftime in their international friendly against Japan. Photo: photosport
"We wanted a combination of experience across the group," Mayne said.
"It was also really important for me through the identification and appointment process to find people that could see the vision for our campaign plan, understand how I operate, while also supporting and challenging the players as we embark on forging new ground as a team.
"This is a really talented group of players, and I now feel we have the staff in place to seize the opportunity to perform on the international stage."
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