As March 15 approaches, the Chinese men's U23 team will meet the adult national team in their final teaching match in Haikou. After this phase of intensive training and three teaching matches, the coaching team will handpick around 25 players out of 30 to prepare for the journey to the west. Those players who are unable to fully commit to the national team's preparations due to personal factors will not join the expedition.
Naturalized players Luo Guofu, Alan, Fernando and Ekson will not be able to participate in this western tournament as they failed to meet the standard of physical test. Spaniards' Wu Lei has struggled to make the coaching staff's list of additions after a lackluster performance in recent club tournaments. This implies that among the overseas players, only two naturalized players, Jiang Guangtai and Li Lei, are expected to join the team for the last two rounds of the 12-team tournament.
In an interview on March 11, Li Xiaopeng, the head coach of the national football team, emphasized that the players must be focused and go all out to prepare for the upcoming matches. He mentioned, "In the face of difficulties, the players need to stay focused, and the national team needs unity and dedication."
Jiang Guangtai insisted on training during his vacation in Dubai and passed his fitness test with flying colors. Li Lei, on the other hand, may postpone his meeting with the team until the 21st as he wants to represent Grasshoppers in the Swiss Premier League first. The national soccer team may grant his wish.
It's worth noting that the national soccer team's trip is no longer limited by personnel quotas. Although the coaching staff had considered drafting Wu Lei, it no longer made much sense to do so given his poor performance in La Liga.
The coaching team observed the players' practical ability and physical condition in two teaching matches. In addition to players such as Zhu Chenjie, Zhang Linpeng, Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Yuning, the selection of players for other positions is yet to be finalized.
Due to the suspension of captain Wu Xi, the coaching team will focus on the double backs. In addition, Stanley Wang, Wang Gang, Wei Shihao, Zhang Linpeng, Zhang Yuning, Wu Lei, Xu Xin and Luo Guofu 8 people due to the risk of yellow card suspension, the coaching team needs to find a balance between the "smooth finish of the 12 strong" and "accelerate the replacement of new generation".
According to the plan, the national football team and the U23 delegation will depart from Haikou on the afternoon of March 17 and take a flight to Dubai, UAE.
