Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Philippine coach Thomas Dooley was relieved that no one from the Azkals was injured during the Azkals international friendly match against Maldives on Thursday.
While Patrick Reichelt seemingly pulled his hamstring during extra time at Rizal a Memorial Stadium, Dooley is confident that the Ceres striker would be ready to go for the Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
“It’s a great thing that we won and nobody got injured,” he said at the post-match press conference following the Azkals’ 2-0 win over Maldives.
“He [Reichelt] should be fine. Tomorrow’s day off sure will be helpful for him but I expect him to be ready on Tuesday.”
The Azkals can breathe a sigh of relief as the squad is still reeling from the loss of key players due to injury.
The squad is still coping with the injuries of Simone Rota (ribs) and Rob Gier (knee), but Dooley is expecting a squad in full strength against the Uzbeks for the all-important qualifying match.