Ole Romeny Has Trained, But Justin Kluivert Makes Garuda Fans Nervous

Ole Romeny's steps in Jeddah felt like a small victory. On Friday night local time, the Oxford United striker once again donned the Indonesian national team training uniform and joined his 14 teammates. 

After months on the sidelines, simply running on the field with the team was already a precious moment.

Coach Patrick Kluivert welcomed Ole's return with a smile, but he remained cautious. 

When asked about the striker's chances of playing against Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Thursday (9/10) early morning WIB, he answered carefully.

"We must know, we must see," he said.

Ole still carries the scars from Paulinho Moccelin's hard tackle in the match between Oxford United and Arema FC in the President's Cup 2025 last July. 

That injury forced him into a long absence, missing 10 of his club's matches in domestic competition. But now, a glimmer of hope has begun to appear. 

"Ole is on the right track," Kluivert stated.

Good news also came from national team manager Sumardji. He said the condition of the 24-year-old striker is almost fully recovered. 

"It's already 95 percent, just a little bit left," he revealed. 

It's not an exaggeration that many are looking forward to the return of the player who scored three goals in the last four matches of the third round of 2026 World Cup Qualifying.

Nevertheless, Kluivert still adheres to the principle of caution. He wants to assess Ole's fitness based on what is seen on the field. 

"His reaction looked good in today's training and that's what matters most. I am very happy to see you back on the bench, so we are careful with that one," he explained.

As a precaution, three other strikers are ready. They are Mauro Zijlstra, Ramadhan Sananta, and Ragnar Oratmangoen. 

But for many, the focus remains on Ole. Can he recover in time and add firepower to the Garuda's front line?

Amid the heat of Jeddah, Ole's comeback story is more than just about fitness. 

It's about hope, courage, and the belief that a player can rise from adversity to once again give meaning to his team's struggle.(Antara)