DOHA, Jan 12 — Harimau Malaya received an early blow when two key players including Endrick dos Santos are most likely to be rested in the first Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup against Jordan next Monday (January 16, 1.30am Malaysian time).

Besides Endrick, who is believed to have a leg injury, another unlucky player is left defender La’vere Corbin-Ong, who is also believed to be suffering from a long-standing leg injury.

Endrick was one of two players who were not seen in the team’s training session at the Qatar University field here last night, apart from senior defender Matthew Davies who is believed to have suffered a minor injury after the warm-up against Syria last Tuesday.

However, what is worrying is the recovery period of Endrick and Corbin-Ong.

Endrick, who is also a naturalised national player, is believed to be unable to play in the three group stage matches, but the coach is optimistic that the player will recover to play in the round of 16 if Malaysia succeeds in qualifying.

The 29-year-old picked up an injury during the team’s training session here ahead of the clash with Syria and was ruled out of the 2-2 draw.

At the same time, Corbin-Ong is likely to be rested against Jordan to ensure the 32-year-old is fully fit for the remaining group matches against Bahrain and two-time champions South Korea.

Meanwhile, Davies is expected to have no problem playing against The Chivalrous Ones under Moroccan-born manager Hussein Ammouta.

Sabah FC defender Daniel Ting is the main choice to replace Corbin-Ong’s position while Brendan Gan, Mohd Afiq Fazail and Natxo Insa are among the faces capable of filling the void left by Endrick.

Malaysia will meet Jordan at the Al Janoub Stadium which is one of the stadiums used to host the 2022 World Cup here.

The national team, which ended a 42-year wait to qualify for the Asian Cup on merit will then meet Bahrain on January 20 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and face South Korea in the final group match at Al Janoub Stadium on January 25.

Kim Pan Gon’s squad aims to make history by qualifying for the round of 16 after Malaysia were eliminated in the group stage in their previous three appearances. — Bernama