Gilas Pilipinas faces a tough battle as it confronts an unpredictable Lebanon squad that will be playing without its ace guard and naturalized player in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Action is set at 6 p.m. with the Filipinos eager to make an impact in the final leg of this tournament that serves as a gateway to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup that the country will host from 25 August to 10 September.

The Filipinos heaved a sigh of relief when prized gunner Wael Arakji and naturalized player Jonathan Arledge were scratched off the 12-man roster that Lebanese basketball officials submitted to the International Basketball Federation before the Cedars left Beirut on Wednesday.

But Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes remains wary, knowing that the Lebanese are capable of springing a lot of surprises.

"They beat New Zealand with this group," Reyes told Daily Tribune in a text message a day before the encounter that will serve as a rematch following their dramatic encounter at the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex in Beirut last year.

The Lebanese prevailed, 85-81, with Arakji rubbing salt to the Filipino wound by claiming that "when you're in my town, you go by my rules. You're in Lebanon, so you go by our rules and that's what we did today" shortly after nailing the dagger three-pointer.

This time, the Lebanese may have no Arakji, Arledge or former National Basketball Association player Norvel Pelle but the home squad will also be handicapped.

From being the tallest team in the previous window, Gilas Pilipinas will be forced to play with a small-ball roster as it is missing the services of rim protectors like 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto, 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar, 6-foot-8 Poy Erram, 6-foot-7 Raymond Almazan, and rising star Carl Tamayo, leaving six-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player as the only legitimate paint patroller.

Sotto, the young center who played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League Australia, couldn't commit as he joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B. League while Aguilar and Erram are sidelined with injuries.