Ahead of next week's AFC Asian Cup playoffs against Timor-Leste, Malaysia have endured a less than ideal preparation at their Kelana Jaya base.
On the second day of national camp on Tuesday, coach Ong Kim Swee ruled out winger R. Gopinathan and fullback Matthew Davies because of injury.
It left Ong with only 13 fit players as they wait for nine members from Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) to join the squad after Wednesday's AFC Cup match against Kaya FC of the Philippines.
The JDT brigade are due to link up with their teammates on Thursday less than 24 hours before the Malaysian squad depart for Yangon where they will face Myanmar in a friendly on Saturday. After that, they will return home for the two-legged playoff against Timor-Leste on June 2 and 6 at Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru.
Pahang's Australian-born Davies succumbed to a back injury while Selangor's Gopi has been struggling with a leg problem.
"We haven't decided as yet who will take their places, but we can bring in two replacements from the standby list," Ong told ESPN FC.
"In the match against Myanmar, it is important that we have a good result. I need to look at a few combinations. The run up will be good for us in terms of preparing ourselves and assessing our weaknesses and our strengths."
Ong will be watching nervously on television on Wednesday night when key players, including midfielder Safiq Rahim and veteran forward Amri Yahyah, look to come through JDT's AFC Cup tie unscathed.
The games are mounting up for defending AFC Cup champions JDT, who have already won the Charity Shield and Malaysia FA Cup this year. Last month, Ong and JDT coach Mario Gomez engaged in a war of words in a club versus country row around the demands placed on the national superstars of the Johor-based side.
Saturday's match marks a busy month of internationals for Malaysia, who will also play Papua-New Guinea (June 17), New Caledonia (June 22) and Fiji (June 26) on their Oceania tour.