In a September 27th update, the Chinese National Football Team Association made a surprise decision to add a temporary transfer window for the upcoming AFC Cup tournament. The move gives Shandong Taishan a valuable opportunity to adjust their squad, which is expected to be strengthened by up to six transfers under the guidance of coach Hao Wei. Meanwhile, a number of players in the reserve team are also waiting for a chance to show their skills. Notably, foreigner Son Junho failed to be selected for the South Korean national team, which allowed him to devote himself to the preparation for the AFC Cup. Currently, Taishan has five foreign players to deploy, their strength is still not to be underestimated, and they are expected to compete for the title in the AFC Cup.
It is worth mentioning that Shandong Taishan has six players called up by the national team. According to the regulations of the FA, during this period, clubs can make loan, transfer and replacement reports for players from September 27th to October 12th. However, since this temporary transfer window is only for the AFC Cup, Taishan's chances of signing new players are relatively low. Nonetheless, Taishan can still select players from the reserve team and the ladder team to enrich the first team.
In this context, Taishan team can according to the actual demand, the reserve team and the ladder team in the players added to the first team, to participate in the fierce competition in the AFC Cup. Previously, many newcomers have been given the chance to play in Taishan's warm-up matches with Tianjin and Wuhan. For example, Zhang Yuanshu, who was withdrawn from the registration list for the summer transfer window of the Chinese Super League, as well as Yang Yilin, Ma Shuai, and Abdul Meat Suli, who have been following the U21 ladder team's training matches, are likely to get the chance to make up their names. In particular, Yang Yilin, who performed well in the warm-up matches, will become a new option for Taishan in the side if he can enter the list of the AFC Cup. Especially with Wu Xinghan, Liu Binbin and Jin Jingdao selected for the national soccer team, the 22-year-old Yang Yilin is fully capable of competing for more playing time.
Of course, Taishan's final lineup adjustment still needs to be decided by the coaching staff. The FA not only added a transfer window period, but also fine-tuned the U23 policy. Specifically, if a U23 player has been called up by the national team, the team can not implement the U23 policy in the AFC Cup. This is good news for Taishan, as Guo Tianyu and Shenhua's Zhu Chenjie both fulfill this condition, meaning Taishan and Shenhua can exempt U23 players from playing in FFA Cup matches. However, Taishan's Duan Liuyu still has the strength to make an impact as a starter and he is also expected to get more chances in the FFA Cup.
In terms of foreigners, all five of Taishan's foreigners can participate in the AFC Cup. The latest news shows that South Korea announced the training list for the World Preliminary 12, and Sun Junho failed to be selected. He has returned to China and completed 14 days of isolation, and is expected to return to the team in early October to prepare for the AFC Cup. Meanwhile, Fellaini has also completed his quarantine and he will also join the fray. Together with Moises, Jadson and Delgado, Taishan's foreigner lineup will be more complete and the strength of the midfield will be guaranteed.
It is reported that the draw ceremony for the main round of the F.A.C.A. Cup will be held on the 29th, when Taishan's first-round opponents and the tournament area will be revealed. Jinan will be one of the tournament zones, and Taishan will finally be able to return to play at home, which will be a long-awaited moment for Taishan's fans.
