All Whites coach Danny Hay is preparing to compete with some of European football's biggest clubs to secure his best possible squad for March's Oceania FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament.
Even with New Zealand the top seed in the Oceania confederation, the All Whites will play off in an eight-strong tournament later this year as their next step on the road to Qatar 2022.
The winner of the Oceania tournament earns a spot in a play-off match against another qualifier from North America, with that winner advancing to the World Cup.
The only sticking point for Hay and the All Whites comes in the shape of the tournament's March 17 start date, which sees it fall outside of FIFA's official international window, beginning March 21.
That means unless the All Whites are granted a dispensation, their clubs can choose not to release them for international duty, which could potentially result in fielding a second-string side at the Oceania tournament.
But speaking before his side face Uzbekistan in their final pre-qualifying hit out, Hay insists any decision on having his best players available won't be down to the individuals.
"I've had a couple of discussions with a couple of players," Hay says.
"But at the end of the day, the players desperately want to be there for the whole tournament - without a shadow of a doubt."
The availability of players will ultimately depend on the decision of their respective clubs.
For example, captain Chris Wood would face a struggle to be released. His Newcastle United side are battling relegation from the Premier League, and wouldn't want to be without the striker after shelling out just $50 million for his signature during the January transfer window.
As a result, Hay expects some tough conversations with major clubs over the availability of his stars.
"There are going to be a couple of clubs that will dig their heels in, and probably rightly so," he adds.
"Some players are operating, in terms of league level, at a very high level that we've just got no chance of getting.
"So it is going to be a little bit of a juggling act, still. We're going to have to talk to sporting directors, head coaches [etc].
"There's still a fair bit to work through."
The All Whites have been drawn to face New Caledonia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea in the Oceania qualifying tournament, which runs from March 17 to March 30.
