TROY Rosario's dream season is about to get even better.
Just months after his desire to play for his family's favorite PBA team Barangay Ginebra was fulfilled, the do-it-all forward is set for a return to the Gilas Pilipinas program starting in the February window of the Asia Cup qualifiers.
Sources contacted by SPIN.ph bared the 6-7 forward is set to be called up by Gilas to beef up its frontline in the wake of injuries suffered by starting center Kai Sotto in the Japan B.League and Kevin Quiambao in his Korean pro league debut.
READ COLUMN: Kai injury scare underlines need to add QMB to Gilas pool
The 7-3 Sotto suffered an ACL tear that is projected to keep him out for six months, making him a longshot to join Gilas in the 2025 Asia Cup set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia from August 5 to 17.
On the other hand, unconfirmed reports claimed Quiambao will be out for at least four weeks due to an ankle ligament tear suffered early in his first game in the KBL with the Goyang Sono Skygunners last Sunday.
That prognosis makes KQ doubtful for Gilas' final Asia Cup qualifiers, where coach Tim Cone is planning a Qatar training camp ahead of away games against Chinese-Taipei on February 20 and against New Zealand on February 23.
READ Kevin Quiambao's long-awaited KBL debut cut short by injury
Although there have been calls to beef up the Gilas pool with big men like the UP Maroons' one-and-done player Quentin Millora-Brown in wake of Sotto's injury, Rosario figures to have the least problems transitioning to Gilas.
The former NU Bulldogs star has been playing for Cone at Ginebra since a dream signing with the PBA's most popular team as an unrestricted free agent.
Once made official, the Gilas call-up will be the 32-year old's first in the national team since being part of the Southeast Asian Games side that suffered a rare defeat to Rajko Toroman's Indonesia in 2021 in Vietnam.
Rosario was also part of three gold medal-winning Gilas teams at the SEA Games from 2015 to 2019 as well as Yeng Guiao's World Cup team, also in 2019.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has yet to make any announcements on changes, if any, on the Gilas pool, especially on its frontline which has been reduced to AJ Edu and alternates Japeth Aguilar and Mason Amos.
Even Edu's fitness has been iffy the past few months,
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