Ryan Thomas
CM
Creative Playmaker
Dec 20, 1994 (31)
Right
5'9"
134 lb
Wins one tackle in Belgium meeting
Thomas registered two tackles (one won) and ten passes and drew one foul in the first half in Friday's 5-1 loss to Belgium.
Analysis: Thomas drew his first nod in the World Cup, but he never managed to find room between the lines, brought little to the table offensively, and was yanked at the interval. He closes the competition with one cross (zero accurate), three tackles (two won) and two clearances in three showings (one start).
Records 22 minutes Monday
Thomas (hamstring) made two clearances as a substitute during Monday's 2-2 draw against Iran.
Analysis: Thomas replaced Callum McCowatt for the final stretch of the second half, making his World Cup debut during the draw. The backup midfielder barely had a chance to show his skills and got more involved in defensive tasks rather than chance generation. Having left a muscular issue behind, he'll continue to offer a source of all-around stats but might not be very reliable given his limited playing time.
Back in full training
Thomas (hamstring) is back in full training and could be an option for the World Cup opener against Iran on Monday, according to Andrew Voerman of Stuff.
Analysis: Thomas didn't feature in any of New Zealand's pre-tournament friendlies while nursing a hamstring injury, but his presence in full training suggests the attacking midfielder could at least be available off the bench for the WC opener. According to Voerman, there's a belief inside the All Whites' camp that Thomas could be used off the bench against Iran with an eye toward potentially starting in the second game against Belgium on June 21.
Dealing with hamstring injury
Thomas didn't featured in any of New Zealand's pre-tournament friendlies due to a hamstring injury he picked up on club duty last month but is confident he will be ready for the World Cup opener against Iran on June 15, according to Michael Burgess of The New Zealand Herald.
Analysis: Thomas is one of the most important players in the All Whites squad and his potential availability for the opening fixture is a significant boost for coach Darren Bazeley heading into the tournament. The coming days will be crucial in confirming his fitness before New Zealand's World Cup campaign gets underway.
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