KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor winger Faisal Halim may be back in M-League action, but national caretaker coach Pau Marti Vicente doesn't want to rush his return to Harimau Malaya for the Merdeka Tournament.
Faisal made his first public appearance in the FA Cup match against Negri Sembilan on June 16 since the horrific acid attack by an unknown assailant that left him with fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body.
Vicente explained that the nippy Faisal is still not at his best, and that was the reason behind his exclusion from the Merdeka Tournament next month.
"I'm pleased that Faisal has returned to play, showing his strength and character, which is something we can learn from and be proud of," said Vicente at a press conference in Wisma FAM yesterday.
"I'm constantly in touch with Faisal, but I feel that for now, it's best for him to focus on his recovery, regaining his fitness, and getting more playing time to ensure he can return to his best form.
"When the time comes, the team, Faisal, and the FA of Malaysia (FAM) will find the best moment for him to rejoin the national squad."
Vicente has retained 18 of the 26 players who were called up for the last two matches in the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan in June.
The eight players returning to the squad include goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, Arif Aiman Hanapi, Romel Morales and Afiq Fazail.
The other four players called up to strengthen the national squad this time are Azam Azmi Murad, Darren Lok, Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar, and Syafiq Ahmad.
Vicente, who's on his first assignment with Harimau Malaya, said the players selected for the Merdeka Tournament are the best in the country at present, adding that he believes this group of players can deliver strong performances.
"These are the best players we have right now. We have a mix of experienced players and young players who are here to learn and will be ready when the time comes," said the former Barcelona youth coach.
"We have monitored all the (M-League) matches this season, and most of the players called up are key players for their teams, getting significant playing time.
"So, their performance in the league is very important as they are always playing at a high competitive level," he said.
The 43rd edition of the Merdeka Tournament will see Malaysia taking on the Philippines on Sept 4 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, while defending champions Tajikistan will meet Lebanon in the semi-finals before the winners will play in the final on Sept 8.
The 26-players squad:
Ahmad Syihan Hazmi, Matthew Davies, Feroz Baharudin, La'vere Lawrence Corbin-Ong, Afiq Fazail, Arif Aiman Hanapi, Romel Morales (JDT); Safawi Rasid, Akhyar Abdul Rashid, Safwan Mazlan, Azam Azmi Murad (Terengganu); Azri Ab Ghani, Zhafri Yahya, Paulo Josue, Haqimi Azim Rosli (KL City); Dominic Tan, Daniel Sang Ting, Darren Lok (Sabah); Nooa Hamzah Laine, Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar (Selangor); Kalamullah Al-Hafiz Mat Rowi, Syafiq Ahmad (Kedah); Syamer Kutty Abba, Adib Abdul Ra'op (Penang); Dion-Johan Cools (Buriram United); Endrick Dos Santos (Ho Chi Minh City)