The latest training squad list for the national football team has been released, featuring 8 new additions and 3 omissions from the previous period, with 2 surprising exclusions and 1 player who should have retired earlier!
In preparation for the crucial upcoming match against Saudi Arabia, the national football team is set to commence a new training camp. A total of 32 players have been selected for this training session, from which 9 will ultimately be cut, with these 9 likely to come from among the newcomers. However, if any of the new faces manage to make a strong impression on the coaching staff during the training, they stand a good chance of securing their place.
Compared to the previous national team roster, 8 new players have been added: Jian Tao, Han Pengfei, Wu Shaocong, Wumiti Jiang, Huang Zhengyu, Maiwulong, Yang Liyu, and Hou Yongyong. The three players who did not make the cut are Liu Dianzuo, the goalkeeper who recently transferred from Wuhan Three Towns to Chengdu Rongcheng, Jiang Guangtai, the defender from the 2024 season champions Shanghai Port, and forward Wu Lei.
The omission of Jiang Guangtai and Wu Lei came as a surprise to fans. Both Wu Lei and Jiang Guangtai are undisputed mainstays in both their clubs and the national team, often being the key players. Since his naturalization, Jiang Guangtai has been the only naturalized player consistently playing for the national team, significantly stabilizing the defense. His exclusion from this selection was indeed unexpected for fans.
There are two reasons behind Jiang Guangtai's omission. Firstly, he is injured, as evidenced by his absence from the last match against Japan. Secondly, after a full season of play, Jiang Guangtai needs some rest. Given his abilities, he doesn't require team training at this time, and it's certain that he will still be included in the final 23-man squad when the time comes.
Wu Lei's exclusion is due solely to an ongoing injury. He missed the last national team game due to injury, which led to much discussion among fans, with some suggesting he was lively in club games but always seemed to get injured when it came to national team matches. Since he wasn't selected for the match against Japan, Wu Lei hasn't played again. His exclusion from the training squad once more due to injury indicates that his condition is quite serious. The Beijing Youth Daily reported that as one of the captains of the national team, Wu Lei's injury is severe, and he may not be able to participate in normal training and matches for quite some time.
Similar to Jiang Guangtai, once Wu Lei recovers from his injury, there will undoubtedly be a place for him in the national team. After Serginho completes his naturalization, Wu Lei should be able to find the same sense of belonging in the national team as he does in his club.
Liu Dianzuo really should have retired earlier. The original first-choice goalkeeper for the national team was Yan Junling, followed by Wang Dalei as second-choice, and Liu Dianzuo as third-choice. After Ivan arrived, Wang Dalei became the first-choice, Yan Junling the second-choice, and Liu Dianzuo remained as third-choice. As a third-choice goalkeeper, opportunities to play are rare. With only half a year left until Liu Dianzuo turns 35 and unable to secure playing time in the national team, it would be better to give younger players a chance.