PETALING JAYA: Will it be Eogene Ewe or Cheam June Wei who steps in for Lee Zii Jia if the latter is not fit for duty at the Thomas Cup Finals?
That is the question national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen must answer ahead of the men's team competition in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 3.
The deadline to submit the squad is this Friday.
Zii Jia’s absence from a scheduled training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) on April 4 (Saturday) further fuelled concerns over his condition, with the 28-year-old still struggling with an ankle injury.
Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin are set to compete in Denmark, leaving the fourth singles spot up for grabs.
Pro Aidil has been training with the national team for the past two weeks and has been in good condition.
World No. 79 Eogene is an option but they can also consider June Wei, who is more experienced.
Jonassen stressed the urgency of the decision, noting that changes to the player lineup after the April 10 cut off could prove troublesome, as only a player ranked lower than Zii Jia can take his place.
"If we have to change players in and out of the team, everything then depends on the world ranking. We can’t get a higher-ranked substitute.
"There are many questions that we need to get answered next week."
Jonassen hopes to see Zii Jia on court sometime next week, as time is of the essence.
"It’s important that he (Zii Jia) is fully recovered before he comes. So his focus right now is on rehab and getting ready," said Jonassen.
"The overall plan is still in place, where he will join us a couple of times next week.
"But of course, we are getting close to some important deadlines. The final nomination of the team is important because after that, it becomes a lot more complex.
It is the second time that Zii Jia has delayed his return to train at the ABM. He also did not show up on Wednesday.
