Three of New Zealand’s most experienced internationals are on track to prove their fitness in time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ria Percival (175 caps), Annalie Longo (138 caps) and Olivia Chance (48 caps) have all been training with the Football Ferns in Auckland and are expected to be available for selection when head coach Jitka Klimková names her tournament squad next week.
All three have suffered long-term injuries in the past year.
Main photo: 1News visited the Ferns training camp to check on their progress.
Percival, who suffered a knee injury last April, told 1News: “Speaking to the surgeon, he wasn’t sure if I’d ever play football again with the damage done to my knee.
“It’s been a tough year, there has been times where I have doubted myself.
“For me, it’s been a bit of a miracle. I’ve been able to turn around rehab and get through this year.”
Klimková told 1News she had been waiting for a “long, long time” for the return of the three midfielders.
“They are making the quality of our session much better,” she said.
