KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor will resume their Super League campaign after the international break with a match against Police at the Selayang Stadium tomorrow.
It will be a hectic period for the Red Giants, as they have five matches in three weeks.
Nidzam Jamil's side are currently second in the Super League with 25 points, while Police are fifth, also with 15 points.
Police, dubbed the "Silent Giant Killers" this season, have earned a reputation for securing impressive results against stronger opponents.
On Nov 4, they held Terengganu to a 1-1 draw, and last month they stunned Sabah with a 1-0 win.
In July, P. Maniam's team managed to steal a point from defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) in a 1-1 draw.
Despite Police's form, Selangor team manager Mahfizul Rusydin believes tomorrow's match will set the tone for their challenging upcoming fixtures.
Selangor will play South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL 2) on Oct 23, JDT on Oct 27, Kedah on Nov 2 and a return match against Jeonbuk on Nov 7.
"We need to maintain our momentum, especially in the away matches, as this will be crucial when we face Jeonbuk and JDT.
"We are aware of Police's strengths, having played against them before. It will be a tough game, but we have confidence in our squad," said Mahfizul.
During the international break, Selangor were without seven key players who represented their respective national teams.
Goalkeeper Azim Al-Amin, Nooa Laine and Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar were with the Harimau Malaya squad, while Mohammad Abualnadi, Noor Al-Rawabdeh and Ali Olwan (Jordan) and Umar Eshmurodov (Uzbekistan) were involved in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
Mahfizul sees their international experience as an asset for the team, which will benefit them as they juggle both their M-League and ACL 2 campaigns.
"We are always looking to improve and add value to the squad. I believe the experience these players gained will benefit us as we tackle our heavy fixture schedule," he added.
Mahfizul is also optimistic about the impact of Selangor's new coaching appointments.
Abdi Hassan has been promoted to interim assistant coach from Selangor II, alongside former captain Shahrom Kalam.
"For the upcoming games, we hope the presence of Abdi and Shahrom will help Nidzam implement tactical strategies based on their experience.
"They have important roles to play, and we look forward to seeing their contributions reflected in our performances," said Mahfizul.