New Zealand has pulled out of next month’s football friendly match against England on Wednesday, saying that “complications” caused by Covid-19 is making it too difficult to field a team at Wembley on November 12.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell said in a statement that, “The shifting nature of travel restrictions and commercial flight availability under Covid means that we do not have certainty we could assemble a squad at Wembley,”

Danny Hay, the All Whites coach has said he was “gutted” to have to withdraw from such a high-profile fixture.

He said; “Looking at the restrictions currently in place, as well as the rising number of Covid-19 cases across Europe, it just isn’t possible to put a competitive squad together”.

Presently, there have been a surge of covid-19 infections in the world of football, including a positive test by Portugal and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.