Anthony Hudson believes the responsibility to perform well at the World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands rests on the shoulders of the entire All Whites team - not only Winston Reid.
Reid has been named the captain of the 22-man squad, although his participation is still in doubt as he continues to recover from shin surgery.
The injury ruled him out of the All Whites Confederations Cup campaign in Russia.
The 29-year-old made his return for West Ham during a pre-season match against German outfit Altona 93 during the week and was given a red card for sarcastically clapping the referee.
If Reid can get through some pre-season games, then Hudson is confident the centre-back will play against the Solomon Islands.
"He back playing, but it didn't help him getting sent off the other day and missing this weekend's game in his recovery," Hudson tells Newshub.
"If he can get a few games in, then he will have no problems and he will be with us.
"The key thing is that he wants to be here, he wants to play and know how important this stretch is.
"He was guttered he missed the Confederations Cup. The intentions are there and it is about getting games under his belt and he feels strong."
The All Whites will face the Solomon Islands on September 1 in Auckland and September 5 in Honiara, and the winner advances to an inter-confederation playoff against a South American team, which will take place in November.
It is looking ever more likely the South American team will be Argentina, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay, who are all ranked inside the top 20 in the world.
Hudson insists the team needs to stay strong regardless of whether Reid is a part of the squad or not.
"He is so important to us, we can't be in a position if he is injured we got no chance.
"We have to be a team. The Confederations Cup was such an important [match] for us, to play the top teams in the world, and what we learnt was our success [should] be based off being a strong, hard-working team.
"We can't be reliant on one player but when he [Reid] walks into camp, the standard goes up.
"With him, in our team, we have a greater chance of success. If not, we still have a chance. We have to be a team."
Newshub.