John Herdman reveals the latest condition of the Indonesia national team squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, Jay Idzes is injured.
Indonesia National Team head coach John Herdman has revealed that the squad preparation process for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup has entered its final stage.
Herdman stated that the general composition of players to be brought to the tournament is already broadly outlined. However, a number of injury cases that emerged over recent days have forced the coaching staff to conduct re-evaluation before the official final squad announcement.
"We are close. We are really very close to announcing the squad," stated Herdman during the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup broadcast rights announcement event held at SCTV Tower, Jakarta on Monday 14 September 2026.
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The 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup is scheduled to run from 24 September to 5 October. Indonesia will host Division 1 of the tournament, with all matches set to be held at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) Jakarta and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung Regency.
One player currently under close observation is Indonesia National Team captain Jay Idzes. The defender sustained an injury to his left thigh while featuring for Sassuolo against Juventus in the Italian League.
In the match held on Sunday evening local time / Monday WIB, Sassuolo secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Juventus.
Idzes was substituted off in the 81st minute. Sassuolo head coach Alberto Aquilani brought on Croatian defender Duje Caleta-Car as his replacement.
This situation has forced the Indonesia national team coaching staff to reassess player conditions before finalising the official squad list.
"We actually already had a very clear squad outline in mind, but these injury cases over recent days have created obstacles for us. That is why we need to evaluate the condition of two or three players following last weekend's matches, then finalise everything afterwards," he explained.
Beyond these latest developments, the Indonesia National Team has already been confirmed to lose several players due to pre-existing injuries.
PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir confirmed that three Indonesian internationals playing overseas will be unavailable for the Garuda squad at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup: Adrian Wibowo, Miliano Jonathans, and Mees Hilgers.
This situation has further narrowed Herdman's options when selecting the player composition for the home tournament.
Marselino Ferdinan is also at risk of missing the tournament. The Indonesia national team midfielder completed knee surgery in Spain last month.
Despite facing multiple obstacles during preparation, Herdman confirmed that Indonesia has retained a high target for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup.
"We enter this tournament with one clear vision: to win the FIFA ASEAN Cup. That is our mission. This is also how we honour the ambition of the organisation that has given us this opportunity. This is our moment," Herdman stated regarding Indonesia's tournament ambition.
With the tournament fast approaching, Herdman only needs to complete final player fitness evaluations before locking the final Indonesia National Team squad. This decision carries critical weight, as Garuda will compete in Group A against Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Singapore.
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