Hudson's King's Cup plans hit by club snub - Bangkok Post
Thailand head coach Anthony Hudson faces player shortage after several Thai League clubs refuse to release their stars. National football team head coach Anthony Hudson is forced to rethink his plans after several Thai League 1 clubs refused to release their players for next month's King's Cup tournament, which will take place in Sri Sa Ket province from Nov 14-17.
After a formal request by the Football Association of Thailand for clubs to release their players for the tournament, Hudson has received confirmation that fewer than half of the called-up players will be available, with the prospect of further rejections looming.
It has been reported that, of the players whose names were submitted to the various clubs, only 10 have been confirmed for release.
Hudson intended to use the 52nd King's Cup as a final test to establish a core group of players ahead of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia early next year.
However, recent developments suggest Thailand will likely have to field a makeshift side due to scheduling conflicts involving three Thai League clubs, who are set to play their second round of matches in the AFF Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup on Nov 18-19 -- just one day after the King's Cup final.
Buriram United, Ratchaburi and Port have away matches scheduled for the second round of the Shopee Cup, with Buriram travelling to face Vietnam's Cong An Ho Chi Minh City on Nov 18, Ratchaburi playing away at Singapore's Tampines Rovers on the same day and Port visiting Cambodia's PKR Svay Rieng on Nov 19.
Hudson is set to announce his squad early next week and the English coach will definitely be without the services of Buriram United star Supachai Chaided, who suffered an injury during a Thai League 1 match last weekend and required surgery. The 27-year-old forward will be out of action for a few months.
Thailand will face Brunei, while Oman will take on Tajikistan in the King's Cup semi-finals on Nov 14, with the winners advancing to the Nov 17 final, and the losers facing off in a third-place match on the same day.
