NATIONAL striker Firhan Ashari must have a special ability which chief coach Roelant Oltmans admires.
For even though he was out for 10 months due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Firhan was among the 33 players who returned to the field on Wednesday.
"I got laid off by a knee injury for 10 months, and it was a pleasant surprise to be recalled for the training squad.
"Although I have fully recovered, I will still have to gradually move into higher gear as the weeks pass by," said the 27-year-old.
Incidentally, Firhan, who made his national debut at the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) in Ordos, China in 2011, should be comfortable with training by November and ready for the ACT in Bangladesh.
Firhan has 185 international caps, and played in the 2014 World Cup in The Hague and 2018 World Cup in Bhubansswar. He was also in the team that won silver at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
"I last played for the country in the World Series (May, 2019). But I went for a knee operation in July and have been out since.
"It has been a long time, but I am not worried because I always give my best in training and matches. Let's see if I am good enough to play for the country in the Bangladesh ACT," said Firhan.
Malaysia have always ended up third in the ACT since the tournament's inception in 2011, collecting five bronze medals, while India and Pakistan monopolised the gold count.
How does he feel playing with a younger set of players after Oltmans culled many seniors before the Movement Control Order?
"No difference in feeling playing alongside young players, and I am always available for advice on the pitch if they need any," said Firhan.
While national No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar called it quits in February, Oltmans dropped many stalwarts when selecting his probable Azlan Shah Cup squad.
The national coach axed the long-serving Saari brothers, Faizal and Fitri, along with skipper Shukri Mutalib while Nabil Fiqri Noor and Joel van Huizen were also excluded.
Nabil has opted to play in the French league while Joel wanted to focus on his new job.
There were seven national juniors drafted into the senior squad on Day 1 of training. Firhan will have to fight with them to get the chance to play in the last tournament of the year — the ACT.