Bangladesh have selected their 23-member squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup, with three uncapped expatriate footballers, Farhan Ali Wahid, Zidane Yousuf and Shuki Itofusa, included for the tournament in Indonesia, according to multiple reports on Friday.
None of the three new faces have previously featured for the national team, though all earned their places after impressing coach Thomas Dooley during the recent camp held in preparation for the competition.
Farhan Ali Wahid, an attacking player currently with England's Boreham Wood FC, is being viewed as a fresh option at centre forward, a position that has long been a source of concern for the national setup.
He has not yet joined the ongoing training camp in Dhaka, with reports suggesting he will instead link up with the squad directly upon their arrival in Indonesia ahead of the tournament.
Zidane Yousuf, a defender, previously caught attention during the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, while Japan based forward Shuki Itofusa adds a further attacking option to Dooley's options going forward.
The three newcomers join an already established group of expatriate players, including Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Tariq Kazi, Zayyan Ahmed and Fahamedul Islam, all of whom retain their places in the squad.
Their inclusion does not come at the expense of existing regulars, with captain Jamal Bhuyan, Topu Barman, Saad Uddin, Rahmat Mia, Shekh Morsalin and Rakib Hossain all named across the squad's various departments.
Mohammedan, whose players make up the bulk of the domestic contingent, had five representatives included in the travelling party, despite the club having earlier requested their release from national duty ahead of the tournament.
The Bangladesh Football Federation reportedly did not respond to that request, with Sujon Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Saad Uddin, Shakil Ahad Topu and Sohel Rana Junior all retained from Mohammedan's contingent regardless.
Several other Mohammedan players, including Shahriar Emon, Anisur Rahman Zico, Faisal Ahmed Fahim and Sourav Dewan, were ultimately left out of the final squad ahead of departure.
Centre back Monjurur Rahman, who made his national team debut back in 2018 against Sri Lanka, also returns to the fold after a lengthy absence from senior international selection.
Bangladesh are scheduled to depart for Indonesia this weekend, though visa complications involving several players could reportedly delay the squad's travel by a day or two ahead of the tournament opener.
The FIFA ASEAN Cup itself gets under way for the first time on September 24, jointly hosted across Indonesia and Hong Kong, with all of Bangladesh's fixtures scheduled to take place in Jakarta.
Bangladesh have been drawn into Group A of the Premier Division alongside hosts Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, with all group matches set to be staged at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Dooley's side begin their campaign against Malaysia on September 25, before facing Singapore on September 28 and closing out the group stage against Indonesia on October 1, with matches broadcast locally on T Sports.
Even after the group phase concludes, each side in Division 1 will play one further fixture, with the identity of Bangladesh's next opponent dependent on final standings across both Group A and Group B.
Bangladesh's ASEAN Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Srabon
Defenders: Topu Barman, Shakil Ahad Topu, Saad Uddin, Rahmat Mia, Tariq Kazi, Zayyan Ahmed, Zidane Yousuf, Monjurur Rahman
Midfielders: Jamal Bhuyan, Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana Junior, Mohammad Ridoy, Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Shekh Morsalin
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Minhajul Karim Shadin, Fahamedul Islam, Farhan Ali Wahid, Shuki Itofusa