Hamza would not find a place in Hong Kong's starting XI!

Hong Kong, China head coach Ashley Westwood made headlines during Wednesday's pre-match press conference ahead of their Asian Cup Qualifiers clash against Bangladesh, suggesting he would likely bench Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury if he were in his own squad.

"Probably on the bench," Westwood said bluntly when asked where Choudhury would fit in his team, drawing laughter from the assembled journalists at the National Stadium in Dhaka. The 49-year-old Englishman, however, remained unfazed by the reaction, delivering his verdict with a straight face.

When asked if Hong Kong had any special plans to deal with the former England under-21 international, Westwood responded: "Not at all. We're aware of his ability. Most of his football in England has been at right-back, as a defender. We know he can play in midfield, as a defensive midfielder. But it's about a team -- one player doesn't make a team."

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Hong Kong players ready for Bangladesh challenge

Hong Kong, China take on Bangladesh on Thursday night in what promises to be a pivotal fixture for both sides in their bid to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.

The former English Premier League player didn't shy away from criticising the matchday conditions either, taking aim at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for overusing the pitch at the National Stadium in the lead-up to the qualifier.

"I think the pitch could have been better," Westwood said. "Bangladesh, as a federation, have been using it every single day, which is not good. That's bad ethics, really. You're supposed to leave the pitch unused for at least two or three days before an AFC Cup qualifying game. The Bangladesh federation chose not to do that. I'm not quite sure where that fits within the rules, but I'm sure it's not correct. And they've probably made the pitch a little bit worse."