KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 – International Norshahrul Idlan Talaha is not in the Sarawak United team for the late afternoon Premier League match against Kelantan in Kota Bharu tomorrow.
He is being rested for a troubled knee and chief coach, E. Elavarasan is putting the setback aside with a positive approach as Sarawak United faces another tough afternoon hurdle in midweek – this time Selangor 2 in Selayang.
”Playing afternoon matches is something unavoidable due to various factors. It is up to us to make good…and one way is to be consistent. We need consistency to keep our challenge. As for injuries, it is part and parcel of the game,” said Elavarasan on his arrival with the team in Kota Bharu on Friday.
The league resumed on Friday after the international break with the national squad undergoing a training stint in Johor Bahru from March 22.
The nine-day stint was later reduced to seven days as national head coach Tan Cheng Hoe wanted the players to be given an earlier break so that they could train with their respective clubs.
Norshahrul was part of the national training squad preparing for Malaysia’s remaining matches in the Group G qualifiers for the World Cup 2022/Asia Cup 2023 which will be played on a carnival basis in the United Arab Emirates.
During the national break, Sarawak United played a friendly match to maintain the match competitiveness.
The positive result in the friendly gives the East Malaysian side hope of keeping pace at the top.
Sarawak United is unbeaten after four matches and is in second place with 10 points. The only hiccup came before the break when the team dropped points in a scoreless draw against Terengganu II. Negri Sembilan tops the standings with 13 points but has played one match more.
“We will use the dropped points against Terengganu II as a motivating factor for us to work harder. We have to score from the opportunities we create. It is always tough playing Kelantan away,” added Elavarasan.
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