Philippines' forward #07 Sarina Bolden celebrates scoring her team's first goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group A football match between New Zealand and the Philippines at Wellington Stadium, also known as Sky Stadium, in Wellington on July 25, 2023. Marty Melville, AFP/File
MANILA — It is still uncertain whether we will see Filipinas star striker and World Cup goal scorer Sarina Bolden suit up for the national team in the upcoming 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifiers.
Coach Mark Torcaso bared to reporters Tuesday night that Bolden is undergoing rehab for their injury, while hoping that she would recover in time.
"She is going through some rehabilitation at the moment. Hopefully, she will be okay," said Torcaso.
READ: Football: Filipinas lose against Chinese Taipei in friendly
Just before the qualifiers, Filipinas encountered a bump, absorbing an unfortunate 0-1 defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei in a friendly match at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila.
READ: Sarina Bolden scores PH's first ever World Cup goal
This was their first match at the historic venue since their triumph in the AFF Women's Championship 2022, and their campaign in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 wherein Bolden scored a goal a landmark goal against co-host New Zealand.
But Torcaso isn't disheartened as he looked forward to choosing the final roster for the Asian Cup qualifiers from a 50-strong large pool of players.
"Oh, very tough," Torcaso said regarding the selection process. "Like, we've got a pool of 50 players. And you all know the quality that we've got and the quality that we're going to see."
"Like, we're going to see four or five World Cup players. So, yeah, definitely we are going to be ready. But we also know that we're going to see a few, and they will be ready."