PETALING JAYA: Striker Romel Morales (pic) has pulled out from the national football team’s centralised training camp due to injury ahead of the team’s international friendlies.
The Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) striker Morales suffered an injury while playing in the Super League match against Perak on Sunday and has been confirmed to be medically unfit.
National coach Pau Marti Vicente has replaced Morales with Chonburi striker Fergus Tierney to prepare for friendlies against Laos on Thursday and India on Nov 18.
“Hopefully Romel recovers quickly and will be called up again for future Harimau Malaya camps,” said Vicente.
Scottish-born Fergus, 21, was raised in Penang since young and signed his first professional contract with Johor Darul Ta’zim in 2022.
This year, he was loaned to Thai League Two Chonburi for a season and has played 11 games with them, scoring one goal and notching one assist.
This is the first time Fergus will be part of the senior squad. The youngster has been a regular for the National Under-23 team, playing 12 games for them since 2023.
Fergus, who stands at 1.84m, is known as a target man upfront with his hold-up plays and aerial abilities.
On Sunday, Vicente announced that midfielder Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi and Natxo Insa pulled out of camp due to injuries, and were replaced with midfielder Zhafri Yahya and winger Fazrul Amir Md Zaman.
Four other JDT players - goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi, rightback Matthew Davies, centreback Feroz Baharudin and winger Arif Aiman Hanapi reported for training at Wisma FAM, in Kelana Jaya yesterday.
Fergus and team captain Dion Cools will join the team in Bangkok, Thailand when the Harimau Malaya arrive there today.
