19 Jul 2012

Basalaj flies to London as cover for Gleeson

6:52 pm on 19 July 2012

The New Zealand Olympic men's football team face a third Games warmup against United Arab Emirates in Austria overnight, with an injury worry over their number one goalkeeper Jake Gleeson.

Gleeson won't play against UAE as he continues to recover from a groin injury suffered in Saturday's loss to South Korea in Seoul, and the 17-year-old Scott Basalaj is being flown out to London as cover for Gleeson.

Basalay's call-up means his Lower Hutt City club will miss one of their standout players in this weekend's Chatham Cup quarter-final against Birkenhead United in Auckland.