Co-hosts Singapore have received a potential setback in the defence of their AFF Suzuki Cup title with a training ban on the new National Stadium pitch for the month-long Southeast Asian tournament.
The four-time winners will play all three of their group matches at the 55,000-seat arena. But concerns over the state of the newly-laid surface within the Sports Hub have seen organisers intervene.
Bernd Stange's squad will train at the Jurong West Stadium instead.
The decision came after the AFF match commissioner conducted an inspection of the National Stadium pitch on Saturday.
"The pitch has improved and is solid and playable," the AFF said in an official statement.
"We appreciate the efforts made by the Sports Hub to improve the pitch the past few months. However, to ensure that the grass is in the best condition for the tournament, it has been decided that no training sessions will be held on the pitch. This will help to minimise wear and tear on the field cover before and throughout the competition."
Teams will still be permitted to bring their players to the National Stadium on the day of their scheduled trainings to walk on the pitch in their track shoes. But the lack of access for practice sessions means that the host nation won't have an extra advantage over their three Group B rivals, who will also play on the synthetic turf of Jalan Besar Stadium.
Singapore coach Bernd Stange said he understood the rationale behind the AFF's decision.
"The pitch has certainly improved from a few weeks back. However, it is clear that the grass is still young," Stange said.
"While we would like to train at the venue, it is more important to ensure that the pitch is of good playing standard on match day. All four teams in the group play passing and attacking football and the decision will enhance ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring that the pitch is in good condition on match day."
Singapore will face Thailand at the National Stadium in their opening match on Sunday and will also play Myanmar and Malaysia at the venue.
There have been concerns about the state of the playing surface for the biennial tournament ever since a Singapore All Star XI faced Italian champions Juventus in an exhibition game in August.