PETALING JAYA: He was set to be one of the pillars in the Southern Tigers’ backline in their task to fend off a pack of marauding Rhinos.
But unfortunately, defender Feroz Baharuddin won’t be part of the action when Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) take on Sabah in a Super League clash at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri today.
The 24-year-old Feroz posted on his Instagram that his season is over due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury which he suffered during training.
He is now in JDT’s long-term injury list alongside wingback Syahmi Safari and winger Enzo Lombardo.
Feroz’s teammates posted messages of support, with star winger Arif Aiman Hanapi wishing him a speedy recovery and to stay strong.
Brazilian striker Bergson Da Silva also told him: “You will be back stronger than ever.”
Feroz has been an ever-present in JDT’s three-man backline under coach Hector Bidoglio’s system.
He has started 13 games in the Super League and has impressed with his superb ball recovery, where he has averaged nine recoveries in every game.
Feroz has also featured in two AFC Champions League Elite games, scoring one goal, and made two appearances in the Malaysia Cup.
Despite his absence, JDT still have the depth to fall back on another defender to partner regulars Eddy Israfilov and Park Jun-heong.
One of them is Shahrul Saad, an experienced national centreback who played a vital role in JDT’s successful campaign in 2023.
The others who can also step in are Indonesian international centreback Jordi Amat, Australian Shane Lowry and Junior Eldstal.
Meanwhile, Sabah coach Martin Stano is looking forward to taking on JDT as the match will show where his players really stand in the Super League.
“We are motivated to face JDT as we’re taking on the best in Malaysia. We want to see where we are at the moment, and we are also in good form,” said Stano.
“What’s most important for us is that we keep our momentum and perform to our best abilities. We also hope to surprise JDT.”
Stano, however, has to rejig his first eleven as he will not have three key players against JDT.
Gabriel Peres, Daniel Ting and Telmo Castanheira are suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
‘’Fortunately, we have others who can replace these players,’’ he said.
JDT are top of the Super League table with 46 points from 16 games, while Sabah are third with 29 points from 15 matches.
