24 Jul 2008

Elliott and Killen could see playing time in second to last Olympic warm up match

6:50 pm on 24 July 2008

Over-age players Simon Elliott and Chris Killen could both see some playing time when the New Zealand Olympic football team play the Indonesian national team in Jakarta tonight.

New Zealand coach Stu Jacobs faces a balancing act ahead of the side's penultimate Olympic warm-up, needing to manage injuries, energy levels and jet lag while also looking to integrate his senior players ahead of their Olympic opener in a fortnight.

Elliott didn't take the field in a 0-2 loss to club side Persikota Tangerang on Sunday - two days after arriving from London - but is more likely to be involved than Glasgow-based Killen who only arrived yesterday.

Injuries and niggles to players complicate selection for Jacobs with Sam Jenkins, Jack Pelter and Daniel Ellensohn all facing fitness tests.

The squad's 18th member - Blackburn captain Ryan Nelson - doesn't join the squad until Beijing, meaning New Zealand could be down to 14 fit players for the game.