KUALA TERENGGANU, June 16 — Local football fans can forget about seeing mixed-heritage player Natxo Insa in action in the Tier 1 international friendly against Papua New Guinea at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Nerus on Tuesday (June 20).

Harimau Malaya head coach Kim Pan Gon confirmed that Natxo and his Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) teammate Muhamad Feroz Baharudin have been released from the national team training camp here due to hamstring injuries.

The coach said the injury had also ruled midfielder Natxo, who joined the national team training on June 10, from Malaysia’s first friendly against the Solomon Islands on Wednesday (June 14).

Meanwhile, defender Muhamad Feroz suffered the injury after starting the game against the Solomon Islands, which Malaysia won 4-1.

"As a coach, I am not upset about not having the services of both these players but I do sympathise with Natxo and Feroz over their injuries.

"May they both recover fast, return to league action with JDT and be fit again to be recalled for the next Harimau Malaya centralised training camp,” he said in a statement issued by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Elaborating, Pan Gon said the national team will continue their centralised training with the remaining 24 players, including Muhammad Shahrel Fikri Md Fauzi and Nooa Laine, for the match against Papua New Guinea.

Pan Gon faced a similar situation ahead of the friendly against Hong Kong in Johor in March when two JDT players, Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi and Endrick Dos Santos, had to be released from the training camp due to injuries also. — Bernama