"We have the strongest squad and it will be difficult for me to pick the [23] players," said Worrawoot.

"We have had enough time to prepare - not too much and not too little."

Thailand, quarter-finalists in 2020 when they hosted the tournament, will have defending champions Korea Republic and Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam and Malaysia for company in Group C.

Several of the players are from the squad that lost 1-0 to Vietnam in the recent Hanoi SEA Games men's football final but Worrawoot will also have the services of several foreign-based young stars.

Among them are Thanawat Suengchitthavon (Leicester City, England), Marcel Sieghart (TSV Rain am Lech, Germany), Chayapipat Supanpasuch (Estoril, Portugal), Yannick Nussbaum (Young Boys, Switzerland), Achitpol Keereerom (Augsburg II, Germany), Ben Davis (Oxford United, England) and Nicholas Mickelson (OB Odense, Denmark).

Thailand leave for Uzbekistan on Sunday and will open their campaign against Vietnam on June 2. They play Malaysia three days later with Korea Republic to follow on June 8, with the top two teams in the group to advance to the quarter-finals.

Photo: The Football Association of Thailand