After undergoing knee surgery in Spain, Marselino Ferdinan is determined to return even stronger.

Marselino Ferdinan has entered a new phase in his journey to return to the pitch. After sustaining an injury that forced him to miss representing the Indonesia national team at the 2026 AFF Cup, the Oxford United midfielder is now focused on recovery following a successful knee surgery performed in Spain.

The 21-year-old player underwent the medical procedure at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Seville on 12 August. The surgery proceeded smoothly, with full support provided by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), including for all stages of his medical care.

"I am extremely grateful for the attention and support from Mr. Erick and PSSI, who arranged the entire surgery process for me and ensured everything went smoothly," Marselino stated in an official PSSI press release issued in Jakarta on Friday.

Marselino sustained the injury during the Indonesia national team training camp held in Bali ahead of the 2026 AFF Cup. This condition ruled him out of the Garuda squad for the group stage matches against Cambodia and Timor Leste.

Indonesia national team head coach John Herdman later confirmed that Marselino would be ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after the third fixture against Vietnam.

Marselino's absence represents a major blow for the Indonesia national team. As one of the core midfielders for the Garuda squad, he last featured for Indonesia during the June 2026 international break.

Determined To Return Stronger

Following his knee surgery, Marselino has directed his full focus to the rehabilitation process. He acknowledges that the path back to competitive football will require time and consistent hard work.

"I will work hard to come back even stronger, and be ready to give my absolute best for Indonesia," he stated.

PSSI will continue monitoring Marselino's recovery progress. The immediate top priority is ensuring Marselino makes a full, complete recovery before he resumes any competitive football activities.

Indonesia National Team To Compete At 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup

Following the 2026 AFF Cup, the Garuda squad will face a new challenge at the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, scheduled to run from 23 September to 3 October. This inaugural tournament is an official FIFA sanctioned event, and will be contested across two separate tiers: the Premier Division and Challenge Division.

Indonesia will co-host the Premier Division alongside Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, with two additional invited nations also taking part.

Meanwhile the Challenge Division will be hosted in Hong Kong, featuring Hong Kong, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos and Timor Leste.