MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone hopes young big man Kai Sotto will be healthy and ready to go by the time the national team reconvenes on November 20 as the Philippine squad prepares for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. The Philippine men’s squad will be battling Syria on Nov. 27, followed by many-time Asian cage champion Iran on Nov. 30 in a pair of away games in Seremban, Malaysia. The 7-foot-3 Sotto has been out of commission for the last seven games with his Japan B.League squad Altiri Chiba due to a knee issue. Chiba has struggled in the absence of the shot-blocking Filipino big man, who averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4.5 assists through the team’s first four games before missing the club’s succeeding games. “Barring any setbacks with his sore knee, he is expected to join us,” Cone told the Manila Times, referring to the 24-year-old Sotto. “We expect all the players to be available by Nov 20.  We hope to be in KL (Kuala Lunpur) by the 21st.” Sotto serves as a vital piece for the Philippines, which galvanized its FIBA World Cup bid in Doha following back-to-back wins over Jordan and Iran in the 2027 Asian Qualifiers in Manila during the fourth window. Sotto averaged monster numbers of 15.5 points, 15 rebounds and over 3 assists in the Manila window, as he provided the energy and hustle for Gilas, which played without injured naturalized player Justin Brownlee. Filipino forward Carl Tamayo though will be out for the November window after re-injuring his ankle. The 6-8 former UP Fighting Maroon played for Gilas in its 82-81 overtime thriller of a win,  before missing the game against Iran. With two more windows left, the Philippines aims to sweep its last four games in the November 2026 and February 2027 windows. The Philippines will enter the November window with an even 4-4 record, just a game behind Iran and Jordan in Group E standings, which share similar 5-3 slates, behind Australia’s immaculate 8-0 record and New Zealand’s 6-2 card. The top three teams will earn outright FIBA World Cup slots, while the best fourth-placed squad between Group E and F will also secure a spot in the tournament in Doha.