With the international match day approaching, the Chinese men's soccer team is about to unveil its new national team squad, which will be the third list after Jankovic took the helm. Compared with the previous two lists, the current list shows a significant difference in the selection of naturalized players. The news that Beijing Guoan's midfielder Li Ke is expected to join the national team has been overwhelming. After two years of hibernation, Li Ke will soon return to the field as a member of the national team.
As the first naturalized player in the history of the national soccer team, Li Ke was called up to the team during the Lippi era, and in 2020, he played alongside the team in the World Cup qualifying round of 40. However, injuries overshadowed his 2021 and 2022 seasons, and after a long recovery, Li finally made his comeback midway through the season. This season, under the tutelage of Guoan head coach Luis Suarez, Li Ke has become a mainstay of the team, and his performances have become increasingly solid.
Rico's return is based on the consistency of his form. The player has great vertical mobility and is capable of supporting the offense as well as being solid in defense. Whether as a substitute or a starter, this type of midfielder is indispensable in Jankovic's tactical system. At the moment, the national team is in dire need of this type of player. However, for another naturalized player, Fernando, whether he can be selected by Jankovic is still up in the air. Fernando's form has been fluctuating, and it seems that his fitness is not enough to sustain a full 90 minutes of high-intensity confrontation. Since the end of July, Fernando's performance had a small boom, with eye-catching performances against teams like Beijing Guoan and Meizhou Hakka. However, in the last two rounds of matches, his form has slipped again and the coach has become more cautious in using him. Fernando's lack of playing time compared to other internationals is perhaps his biggest shortcoming.
