‘Hopefully it’s okay’: All Whites captain Chris Wood and his coaches optimistic after bruising red-card tackle
Friday, 17 April 2026
Nottingham Forest coach Vítor Pereira is hopeful Chris Wood will be back in action as soon as Sunday after he was on the receiving end of a bruising red-card tackle on Thursday (Friday NZ time).
The All Whites captain took a painful blow to his right knee in the fifth minute of Forest’s Europa League quarterfinal second leg against Porto, eight weeks out from the start of the FIFA World Cup.
Polish centre back Jan Bednarek collected him with a high left leg while they were competing for the ball on halfway at Forest’s City Ground home.
Wood had been trying to control the ball above his waist and fell to the ground in agony.
Bednarek was sent off following a video assistant referee intervention, while Wood tried to play on, but ultimately left the contest just 10 minutes later.
The 34-year-old Kiwi had only returned to action with Forest last week after having surgery on his left knee just prior to Christmas, playing 45 minutes in their 1-1 first leg draw in Porto – his first action since mid-October.
He then played 25 minutes off the bench in their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in the English Premier League at the weekend.
University of Derby journalism student Thomas Gibson said in a post on X that Wood had said “Hopefully it’s okay,” when he passed through the post-match mixed zone after Forest won 1-0 to advance to the semifinals.
Forest also lost defender Murillo and winger Callum Hudson-Odoi to injuries during the match.
Pereira said in his post-match press conference when asked about the trio: “I don’t know, I’m not a doctor.
“I think Chris and Murillo will not be anything significant.
“Chris has a hematoma (bruising), but I think they will both be ready for Burnley (who Forest play on Sunday local time – 1am Monday NZ time).
“For Callum, it’s a muscle injury which is the bad news.”
Gibson said Wood had been walking normally as he left the City Ground, in contrast to Hudson-Odi, who had been on crutches.
Wood appeared relatively relaxed as he was assessed by a Forest physio then walked off the field. He was later shown sitting on the bench with ice strapped around his knee.
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said in a statement: “Myself and our medical team have been in contact with Chris and Nottingham Forest following the game today.
“He will be assessed by Forest but it doesn’t sound like it is as serious as it first looked – thankfully.”
Having beat Porto 2-1 on aggregate, Forest will now play Villa in a home-and-away Europa League semifinal on April 30 and May 7 (May 1 and May 8 NZ time).
Portugal’s Braga and Germany’s SC Freiburg are the other teams remaining in the second-tier continental competition.
On the eve of the Porto match, Wood spoke about how his left knee injury was “going to take years of managing, throughout my whole career and my life”.
“When I’m playing with the kids, playing golf or doing whatever I do after football, it’s going to be there.
“It’s always going to be in the back of my mind that I have to keep myself in top shape, ready to go.”
The All Whites have been drawn with Belgium, Egypt and Iran in group G at the World Cup.
Their first match is against Iran in Los Angeles on June 15 (June 16 NZ time) with the tournament beginning four days prior.
Wood is set to lead New Zealand at his second World Cup, having come off the bench as a teenager last time the All Whites qualified in 2010.
He has missed the team’s last four matches due to his previous injury to his other knee.
Wood is the All Whites’ equal most-capped player, with 88 appearances to his name, and also their leading goal-scorer, with 45 to his name.
Forest are three points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the race to avoid relegation from the Premier League with six rounds remaining.
West Ham United sit between the two clubs, a point back from Forest and two clear of Spurs.