KUALA LUMPUR: None of the teams in Group B of the AFF Under-23 Championship have brought their best for the tournament in Rayong, Thailand.
Malaysia, Indonesia and minnows Timor Leste have brought mixed squads, as some clubs in their respective leagues did not release players.
It is because the tournament is being held outside the Fifa international window, and clubs are not required to release players for the assignment.
National Under-23 coach E. Elavarasan said: "Malaysia have the same problem (as the other teams in the group).
"We could not get a few players because the league is still on. However, our main target is the Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers next month, where we hope to get good results," said Elavarasan.
"We will test some new players here."
Indonesia coach Shin Tae Yong and his Timor Leste counterpart, Park Sun Tae, confirmed they had issues securing players for the tournament.
Tae Yong said: "Although we had shortcomings, we are taking this tournament seriously. We want to continue winning after our success at the Phnom Penh Sea Games (in May).
"However, our focus is the Asian Cup qualifiers. We want to qualify for the tournament proper," said Tae Yong.
Sun Tae said: "We had problems with selection and could not bring our best players.
"We have some new players, and I hope they will perform well," he said.
Malaysia will open their Group B campaign against Indonesia at Rayong Province Stadium on Friday.