Kota Kinabalu: Sabah FC II are set to rotate the squad in their remaining three matches in this season’s MFL Cup competition due to the tight schedules.
They will be taking on Terengganu FC II at home tomorrow (Wednesday) followed by the away tie against PDRM FC on April 12 before the season ending home tie against Negeri Sembilan FC on April 14.
Head coach Billyton Vun said the players will not have enough time to recover as a result of the schedule released by MFL.
“It is quite impossible for the players to get the rest needed with three matches to play within a week.
“They need at least 48 hours of rest after each match for the recovery process and we cannot avoid that.
“Furthermore we also have difficulty for the team preparation with the amount of time available,” he said at the Hari Raya open house hosted by team manager Datuk Abdul Kassim Razali in Tuaran recently.
Despite the predicament, he is still hoping to get positive results from the team to finish the season on a high.
“As the head coach, I don’t want to run away from my responsibilities. We only have 18 to 19 players available after each match due to the recovery phase.
“I will try my best to prepare the team to get positive results in these three matches with a rotation method in order to prevent the players from getting burnout and long-term injury.
“I also hope the players can take the opportunity to build their mental strength in competitions under this tight situation,” he added.
Sabah FC II won their last match by thrashing Kelantan Darul Naim FC 4-1 at Likas Stadium on March 18.
It was also Sabah FC II’s second victory in the competition following the 2-1 victory over Kuala Lumpur FC in January.
The team are currently bottom in the table standing with only 10 points from two wins and four draws.
Kuching City FC II are one place above them with the same points but have played one match more.
