Harimau Muda A head coach Ong Kim Swee said the duo were put to the test at the recent overseas tour, which included playing in the invitational BIDC Cup in Cambodia and two friendly matches against the Jordan Under-22 side, which they lost 3-1 and 5-0.
“I am pleased with the progress of the two players but I will not rush them into the first team. They will be a strong asset in my plans and it will be a good boost for the team,” said Kim Swee upon returning from their overseas stint on Friday.
The 22-year-old Izzaq suffered a career-threatening knee injury which kept him out for more than a year. The lanky striker was the hero in Kim Swee’s 2011 gold medal SEA Games squad in Jakarta when he scored a late winner against Thailand (2-1) to secure their berth in the semi-finals.
Izzaq, who has earned five international caps, had surgery to his left knee after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia. Seven months later, he had another surgery for a torn meniscus.
Since then, Izzaq, who featured under national coach Datuk K. Rajagopal in the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, has yet to make a comeback.
He will surely be a boost in Kim Swee’s squad after the former international lost two key attacking players due to injuries - winger Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor and Syahrul Azwari Ibrahim.
“I won’t have several key players for the Myanmar SEA Games including in attack and the return of Izzaq and Ashri is a timely boost to the team,” said Kim Swee.
The talented Ashri, who plays on both wings for Sarawak, had been sidelined for the whole of this season after undergoing knee surgery in October last year.
The other good news for Kim Swee is that injured Sarawak midfielder Junior Eldstal will return for training on Nov 22 after seeking laser treatment for his nagging back injury. Eldstal had impressed Kim Swee in the Merdeka Tournament this year.
The other key players ruled out for the SEA Games due to injuries are midfielder Gary Steven Robbat, and defenders Fandi Othman and Nik Shahrul Azim (of Kelantan).
The SEA Games squad will resume training on Monday. Defending champions Malaysia have been drawn in Group A with Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei and Laos while in Group B are Indonesia, Thailand, Timor Leste, Cambodia and hosts Myanmar.
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