SEPANG: Harimau Malaya defender Ubaidullah Shamsul Fazili felt that the absence of several stalwarts will not severely affect the team in their international friendlies against China and Yemen.
The Terengganu FC player said the introduction of several new faces won’t be an issue, as the majority of them already have international experience.
“I do not feel there is a significant difference. These are the same players who have previously been with the national squad. Therefore, I do not regard this as entirely new for us,” said Ubaidullah when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Tuesday.
“Although there are changes to the defensive line-up, I believe this is an opportunity for other players, as well as myself, to prove the quality we possess.
“Experience and performance at the international level are beneficial for us to further improve the team,” he added.
The current squad selection does not feature defenders from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), while two newly called-up defenders, Ahmad Zikri Khalili and Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar, were subsequently released from the squad due to injuries.
Following these withdrawals, the coaching staff bolstered the defensive backline by drafting in three replacements from the standby list: Safwan Mazlan, Dominic Tan and Ariff Farhan Md Isa.
Ubaidullah revealed that the commendable performances displayed during the recent Asean Fifa Championship campaign in Jakarta have injected extra motivation for the players to push further on the international stage.