Initially, Herdman included Marselino Ferdinan in the list of players to participate in the ASEAN Cup 2026, but the former Persebaya player was injured. This 22-year-old attacking star has not played in all 3 matches against Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
After the 0-3 defeat to Vietnam, Herdman explained that Marselino will no longer participate in the number one football tournament in Southeast Asia. He said: "Unfortunately, Marselino has been injured and will have to miss the rest of the tournament. We have received confirmation from the MRI results. I will not disclose details about the injury at this time, but he will definitely not be able to continue playing.
This is unlucky for Marselino, because he is an excellent attacking player. But it also creates opportunities for other factors to aim for the next match.
Marselino Ferdinan, born in 2004, is one of the most noticed stars of Indonesian football. He plays as a winger or attacking striker, scoring 5 goals in 41 appearances for the national team. Currently, Marselino is playing for Oxford United club in England.
The absence of Ferdinan in the remainder of the ASEAN Cup 2026 is a loss for the Indonesian team. In the immediate future, the Indonesian team is aiming for the next match against Singapore away from home. The Indonesian team must win to win a ticket to the semi-finals, otherwise they will be eliminated.
This is not an easy task for coach John Herdman's team, because Singapore played very well in this year's tournament. They once drew 0-0 with Vietnam right at My Dinh Stadium.
With the absence of Marselino, the Indonesian team will rely on attacking midfielders or other wingers such as Egy Maulana Vikri, Beckham Putra Nugraha, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Saddil Ramdani or Eliano Reijnders. In addition, they also expect Thom Haye or striker Mitchell Baker to shine to help the team advance.
The Singapore vs Indonesia match will take place at 8:00 PM on August 7.
