Chiangrai United Missing Key Players for Battle Against Port F.C.

Defending T1 League champions Chiangrai United will resume their flagging title campaign against second-ranked Port on Sunday in coronavirus-hit Thai League 1 without stars Shinnapat Leeaoh and Wasan Homsan.

The top flight of domestic football will see its first game in over a month being played at 6.30pm at Singha Stadium in Chiang Rai today. It will be broadcast live on NBT 2HD.

Last month, Thai T1 League and T2 League had gone into a month-long break forced by a fresh outbreak of deadly Covid-19 virus in the country.

The match between the Beetles and Port was originally slated to be played last year, but was postponed and was rescheduled for early January, but the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) halted all domestic games on the instructions of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Thai League 1 is scheduled to make a full return to action on Feb 6.

Chiang Rai United, who recently beat Sukhothai 1-0 in the FA Cup to reach the last 16 stage, will be without key defenders Shinnapat and Wasan, who are both suspended.

Chiangrai United are looking forward to South Korean player Cho Ji-Hyu making his first start in the Thai league and team head coach Emerson da Silva will also have skipper Phitiwat Sukjitthummakul, Siwakorn Tietrakul and talented Ekanit Panya available for selection today.

Port, who have 34 points to their credit and trail league leaders BG Pathum United by 10 points, were beaten 6-3 in their last game, but their head coach Sarawut Treephan is confident his men will bounce back in Sunday’s away game.

The match will be played behind closed doors without any spectators.