KELANTAN will have Selangor on their minds when they begin the Super League second round with a home game against Perlis in Kota Baru today.
Coach M. Karathu said the match against the league leaders, also at home, on Tuesday will be crucial in their bid to challenge for the title.
"Not that we are taking Perlis lightly but we also need to make sure we have the strongest squad possible when Selangor come to town," said Karathu.
"So we may have to rest one or two regulars tomorrow (today) but we should still be strong enough."
Karathu said the 5-1 win in Kangar on Tuesday had whetted Kelantan's appetite for a similar victory.
"With quite a number of teams vying for top spot, we should continue with our goal-scoring spree as a healthy goal difference may come in handy at the end of the season.
"After being on top for a while, we have slipped to third place but another win against Perlis will see us leapfrog Terengganu, at least for 24 hours since our neighbours will not be playing until Saturday (tomorrow)," he said.
The coach said it had become necessary to rotate players due to injuries and suspensions during a hectic schedule.
"It is impossible to have every player available when we are playing twice a week but we can try to take whatever advantage we can during this situation," Karathu added.
"We proved it by keeping captain Badri Radzi on the bench for a couple of matches and it made him hungrier than ever and he scored a hat-trick in Kangar." Karathu said winger S. Chanturu, who was sidelined for the last two matches, could be ready for a comeback.
"Perhaps he will be the one who scores a hat-trick this time," he said. -- ZAINUDDIN MUHAMMAD
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