# Christie Jayaseelan out injured
# Indra Putra suspended
# Pahang skipper Razman Roslan to undergo fitness test hours before match
# Selangor fired up for their ‘Mission 33’
Veteran coach Irfan Bakti is one cool man – never to panic even when the chips are down – and he is without two of his key pillars in the team when they face Premeir League champions in the first-leg Malaysia Cup semi-finals at the Selayang Stadium on Wednesday.
International Christie Jayaseelan’s Malaysia Cup campaign is over with a left shoulder injury he sustained in the 2-1 win over Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim in the second-leg quarter-final match at the Larkin Stadium on Saturday.
The giant killing feat by the Fighters knocked out the hot favourites and newly crowned AFC Cup champions – 3-2 on aggregate for a place in the semi-finals.
Former international Indra Putra Mahayuddin will sit out the Kedah match to serve a one-match suspension for three yellow cards.
Ask Irfan about the setbacks – you will get a simple answer from him.
“There are others who will fill in the gap. Football is game where you have to be prepared for such eventualities. It is the semi-final and we cannot panic over injuries and suspension,” said Irfan.
In the same breath Irfan is keeping the replacements for Christie and Indra close to his chest.
Meanwhile, Kedah, treble champions in 2007 and 2008 under coach coach Azraai Khor Abdullah, will miss their influential midfielder Baddrol Bakhtiar – also through suspension.
The Red Eagles soared to the last four with an emphatic 3-1 win over Selangor club PKNS FC in the second-leg at the Selayang Stadium after a 1-1 draw in the first-leg.
Meanwhile, defending champions Pahang will be at home to 32-time champions Selangor in the first-leg at Kuantan’s Darul Makmur Stadium with skipper Razman Roslan a doubtful starter.
The international will undergo a late fitness test for an ankle injury but coach Zainal Abidin Hassan is not willing to take a risk if it is a “50-50” chance for the defender.
