Both Vietnam and host Hong Kong may have key players sitting on the bench during the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers game on Friday thanks to injury and illness.

Midfielder Quoc Anh of Vietnam has been suffering from a prolonged fever for days, VnExpress reported. He had to consult the team’s doctor after dinner on March 20 for treatment. The Vietnamese national team had arrived in Hong Kong the previous day.

He has had less than two days to recover from coughing and exhaustion before the match, scheduled to take place tomorrow evening at Mongkok Stadium.

At 8pm today, the Vietnamese team will have a one-hour training session at the stadium.

Hong Kong, the host, will also be without the services of an important striker, Chan Siu Ki, who is injured, according to VnExpress. He plays for China’s First Division club Guangdong Sunray Cave.

He will be replaced by young striker Au Yeung Yiu Chung of South China FC.

Hong Kong coach Kim Pan Gon says his team intends to beat Vietnam, so the absence of Chan Siu Ki is a big loss, according to Nguoi Lao Dong.

Though he has said that ‘Vietnam has respect towards rival Hong Kong, but I believe Vietnam can win it,’ coach Hoang Van Phuc admitted that his players will be concerned about striker Jaimes Mckee, an English player.

Mckee has a strong posture and is very fast, so Vietnamese defenders must stay alert over him, Phuc noted.

“We beat Hong Kong 2-1 last year but Hong Kong has changed, especially with some naturalized players coming from abroad,” he said.

Last month, Vietnam lost 1-2 to the United Arab Emirates in group E of the Asian Cup qualifiers. After Hong Kong, Vietnam will take on Uzbekistan on October 15.