National football coach Hans Michael Weiss will be bringing a more attack-minded side to the AFC Challenge Cup group qualifying stage in Rangoon, Myanmar, starting Monday.

With the impending absence of star striker Phil Younghusband, Weiss added offensive depth by including strikers Angel Aldeguer, William Espinosa, Patrick Hinrichsen and Yannick Tuason and midfielder Ricardo Becite in the lineup.

Dropped from the squad were defenders Joebel Bermejo, Reymark Palmes, Jerry Barbaso and Kim Relucio and midfielder Peter Jaugan, who were informed of the decision by the German coach Wednesday night.

“I think this gives us the quality we need to move to the next level,” Weiss told the Philippine Daily Inquirer upon the team’s arrival in Manila on Thursday morning.

“Our new players give us better options.”

The Azkals, who resume training on Friday at the University of Makati pitch before leaving for Rangoon on Saturday, suffered a blow with Younghusband forced to sit out the group stage because of a partial hamstring tear.

A source in the team said Younghusband would need at least three weeks to recover from injury.

Read more at Philippine Daily Inquirer