Malaysia coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee has defended the controversial selection of England-born striker Darren Lok after only one game for Johor Darul Ta'zim II.
The former English non-league forward was drafted into the Malaysia squad at centralised training this week, ahead of next month's internationals against Singapore and Afghanistan.
The 26-year-old only made his Malaysia Premier League debut last Friday, coming on as a second-half substitute for JDT II against Kuala Lumpur.
But Ong believes the time is right to see if Lok could fit into his AFF Suzuki Cup plans after being given his Malaysian citizenship last week.
The two October internationals are seen as crucial for Harimau Malaysia as they develop new combinations before November's Southeast Asian showcase.
"He has been with Johor for the last four months, and it was only a matter of being granted citizenship," Ong told The New Straits Times. "During the four months, we consistently followed up with the club on his progress.
"I sent my assistant Brad Maloney last Friday to watch him play, and it was enough for us to analyse his game, and decide on his inclusion.
The first day of centralised training on Monday saw 13 of 26 players report to FAM headquarters at Kelana Jaya. The remaining group will join the squad on Sunday.
Malaysia will play away to Singapore on Oct. 7 at the Sports Hub, followed by a home match against Afghanistan four days later. Ong will then name a 25-member squad for the last phase of training before Malaysia head to Myanmar for November's Group B action.
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- Darren Lok (@DarrenLok) September 22, 2016
"If we do not call up Darren now, then we will never get a chance to test him in international matches," Ong added. "Those, if there are any, who are unhappy, will have to prove themselves in the league.
"At the end of the day, priority is getting the best talents for international matches, and not individual interest."
In recent months, Malaysia have struggled to produce goals, and lacked attacking options when they lost 3-0 to Indonesia in a friendly on Sept. 6.
The situation has not been helped by the international retirements of four senior players from JDT, including former skipper Safiq Rahim, who was top scorer at the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup.