Proficient teenage striker Suphanat Mueanta, who returned to full coaching on Monday, is hoping to assist hosts Thailand choose up three factors of their opening AFC U23 Championship recreation in opposition to Bahrain on Wednesday.
The event, which affords three locations to the highest groups on this 12 months’s Tokyo Olympics, kicks off on Wednesday at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Nationwide Stadium and can run till Jan 26.
Matches may even be staged within the Thai cities of Pathum Thani, Buri Ram and Songkhla, however all the house workforce’s group stage video games will probably be performed in Bangkok.
The Thais have been drawn in Group A which additionally consists of Australia and former champions Iraq. The highest two groups of every group attain the quarter-finals.
Suphanat, 17, was on the damage checklist since Thailand’s 1-Zero loss to Saudi Arabia in a warm-up recreation on Friday.
The Buriram United striker is now prepared to participate within the match in opposition to Bahrain, which will probably be televised stay by Channel 7 at eight.15pm.
Suphanat advised the media on Monday that he was completely satisfied to be again in coaching with the nationwide workforce.
“I believe I’m match and prepared for the event after having a two-day relaxation. My damage is getting higher as there’s solely a small wound which ought to heal utterly quickly,” mentioned the teenage star.
“After two warm-up matches, I believe coach [Akira Nishino] ought to have a transparent image concerning the readiness of the gamers and have a plan prepared for our first recreation with Bahrain.
“As for the workforce, we’re able to put in our greatest. This can be a house occasion so we have to carry out effectively and impress the followers. It is vitally vital for us to get off to begin.”
Nishino mentioned: “We now have seen the 23 gamers in motion within the two warm-up video games. I believe they’re prepared for the primary recreation.
“Earlier, we had been frightened about two injured gamers, Suphanat and Airfan [Doloh]. Suphanat is again in coaching with the workforce whereas Airfan was allowed to coach individually as he nonetheless had some ache.
“Bahrain just lately performed within the Dubai Cup and we’ve got studied their ways from that occasion.”
Airfan was additionally injured in the course of the warm-up recreation with Saudi Arabia.
He hopes to be slot in time and “accessible for choice” for tomorrow’s opener in opposition to Bahrain.
Thailand beat Customs United 2-Zero of their remaining tune-up on Sunday.
