No Nurillo, so Turtles have to rely on Liridon and Omid in midfield

KUALA NERUS: Terengganu head coach Tomislav Steinbruckner admitted that their preparation for the Malaysia Cup second semi-final match against Kuala Lumpur today was slightly affected by the absence of key player Nurillo Tukhtasinov.

He said that the midfield maestro, who hails from Uzbekistan, will not see action at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium after being suspended due to yellow card collection.

Steinbruckner also highlighted additional challenges with the fitness issues of central defence stalwarts Shahrul Nizam Roshasni and Saldor Kulmatov.

Consequently, he said the team will rely heavily on naturalised player Liridon Krasniqi and Omid Nazari to support team captain Habib Haroon in midfield.

“We are preparing as much as possible for the big match. Shahrul Nizam, Kulmatov and Norhakim (Norhakim Hassan) have certain problems,” said Steinbruckner.

“But I think they will be ready though Nurillo is suspended.

Steinbruckner also cautioned his players to be wary of KL’s attackers, Paulo Josue and Romel Morales, especially during set-piece situations.

He emphasised the need for mental strength, urging his players to be prepared for the possibility of extra time or penalties, underlining the importance of focus and readiness.

“KL may prepare some surprises for us. So, we must be ready and focus 100 per cent on the match,” he added, while hoping for thousands of fans to show their support for the Turtles at home. — Bernama