With Kritsada Wongkaeo suspended and Suphawut Thuenklang nursing an injury, Thailand may have to look to Jirawat Sornwichian in their match against Paraguay today.
The 24-year-old is one of the team's star players and scored in Thailand's first two games _ a 3-1 win over Costa Rica and a 5-3 loss to Ukraine.
He is already a fans' favourite thanks to his eye-catching performances, and is well aware that the whole country is willing them to succeed.
"Our fans are incredible. They are always behind us," Jirawat Sornwichian said. "Even when we make a lot of mistakes, like we did against Ukraine, they push us forward and give us the strength to get back into the game."
Thailand were 5-0 down at half-time against Ukraine on Sunday and, although they rallied in the second half, it proved to be too little too late.
Jirawat's talent was especially seen in the second half against Ukraine, who finished fourth at the 1996 World Cup. He was the driving force behind the hosts. He encouraged teammates to go forward with an impressive array of skills and was rewarded with a goal.
"We were the underdogs going in to the game, but we believed we had a chance," he said. "Unfortunately we made too many mistakes in the first half. After the break we were able to control the match better, but by then it was too late to turn things around."
The diminutive forward added: "I have no fear. I want to stamp my style of play on every match and have an important role. I fight from the first until the last second along with all my teammates."