All Whites Leo Bertos and Tony Lochhead are taking it slowly as they returned to pre-season training with the Wellington Phoenix A-League football side.
While most players players concentrated on ball possession and a game, Bertos and Lochhead were confined to running as they recover from injuries that ruled both out of the All Whites recent matches against Mexico and Australia.
Coach Ricki Herbert says Bertos is about two weeks away from taking part in training while it will be longer for Lochead but says there's no rush as the competition doesn't kick off for several months.
Herbert says he intends to play more pre-season games than in past seasons, including home and away games against other A-League clubs.
His major recruitment plans involve a goalkeeper, a striker and an attacking midfield player while he's looking for three young players to fill fullback, central defender and midfielder roles.
