KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 ― Pahang head coach Dollah Salleh is fearing the worst as he won't have his three foreign imports when they take on six-time Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) in a Super League match at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan tomorrow.

The former national player knows that his men can expect a torrid time even though they will be at home against the Southern Tigers when the league resumes after a five-month break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Almost all my import players, like Herold Goulon, Dickson Nwakaeme and Ivan Carlos, have just recovered from injuries. My squad is not ready. Judging from the friendly matches that we've played, I'm nervous because of my key players’ fitness level, more so as we will be facing JDT.

"In fact, in the last few friendlies, I tried out some players from our President's Cup squad but they are not at the level that I want them to be at,” he said in a statement issued by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) today.

The 56-year-old coach, however, stressed that the Elephants, as the Pahang team are known, would be committed to giving their best.

Two more matches will be played tomorrow. Felda United will welcome UiTM FC to their Tun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka while Melaka United will travel to Ipoh to take on Perak at the Perak Stadium.

On Saturday (August 29), there will be three more clashes, with Selangor welcoming Petaling Jaya City (UiTM Stadium, Shah Alam); third-placed Terengganu FC entertaining Sabah (Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Kuala Terengganu); and winless Police meeting Kedah (Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium).

JDT currently top the Super League standings with 10 points, with 2018 Malaysia Cup champions Perak just two points behind. Terengganu FC are third on seven points while Pahang sit in sixth spot with six points. ― Bernama