KUALA NERUS, April 10 (Bernama) -- It's a tough task for any team to face reigning Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) with a strong starting XI.
But if you have nine key players out, as Terengganu FC (TFC) will when they face the Southern Tigers away at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium tomorrow, it can feel like an almost impossible task indeed.
TFC acting head coach Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan said three of them are suspended, four are injured, while two others, who are on loan from JDT, are not allowed to feature against their parent team.
"Muhammad Alif Zakaria (defender), Mohamad Saiful Jamaluddin (midfielder) and Muhammad Safwan Mazlan (defender) are each suspended for one match, while Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid has a shoulder injury, and Muhammad Baqiuddin Shamsudin is down with a hamstring injury.
"Shervoni Mabatshoev is suffering from a knee injury after returning from national team duty. Striker Yann Mabella, meanwhile, has rejoined team training but is still not fit enough to be fielded following meniscus and medial collateral ligament injuries.
"Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli and Azam Azmi Murad, meanwhile, are still contracted with JDT. But we have sent a letter to JDT requesting their permission to field them tomorrow, seeing how we are short-handed,” he said when contacted today.
Despite missing nine key players, Tengku Hazman boldly declared that his team would never adopt a defensive approach when facing the 12-time consecutive Super League champions.
He reminded his men to be more focused, avoid making silly mistakes and stick to the game plan.
"With the players that we have, we will try our very best to at least not get trounced (5-0) like in Gong Badak last year,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
