KUALA LUMPUR: India will look to avenge their Merdeka Tournament defeat to world No. 133 Malaysia when the two teams meet in a friendly in Hyderabad tomorrow.
The Blue Tigers had cited poor refereeing and the substandard pitch conditions at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil as contributing factors to their 4-2 loss to Harimau Malaya in the tournament.
India also hope to break a 12-month winless run when they face Pau Marti Vicente's side, who are missing three key players — defenders Matthew Davies and Feroz Baharudin, as well as forward Arif Aiman Hanapi.
Vicente brought only 23 players to Hyderabad, allowing the trio to return to their club, Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT).
In Arif's position, Vicente may turn to Safawi Rasid or Haqimi Azim Rosli on the right flank, while Azam Azmi Murad could replace Davies in defence.
The coach is also expected to call on Zhafri Yahya, Fergus Tierney, and Fazrul Amir Zaman, who featured in Malaysia's 3-1 friendly win over Laos.
"India will be a difficult opponent. They are probably eager to get a win, so we must be fully prepared," said Vicente.
India have not won a match since their 1-0 victory over Kuwait in a World Cup qualifier last November.
Captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said the team are eager to overcome the disappointment of last year's defeat to Malaysia.
"We are looking forward to this match and want to make up for our last loss in Malaysia," said Gurpreet.
India coach Manolo Marquez, meanwhile, praised Vicente, calling him a "brilliant tactician."
"Vicente is from my city in Spain, and I know him well," said Marquez.
"He has a wealth of experience, including working with Barcelona B and coaching in Hong Kong.
"Harimau Malaya play good football, and this will be a tough match."