New Zealand goalkeeper Mark Paston is hoping to use the All Whites' upcoming friendly matches to get himself back to peak fitness for the World Cup.

The Wellington Phoenix stopper has played just once since December due to a broken leg and knows the warm-up games against Australia, Serbia, Slovenia and Chile will be vital to his preparations.

He told The Dominion Post: "These games are very important for me. At the moment, physically I feel like I'm almost there, and there are obviously a few more weeks to go. Gametime is going to be crucial and there are plenty of training sessions too."