Putting the issue of senior and junior players aside, Bangladesh women's football team coach Peter Butler termed his 23-member squad as a new national team, which will leave for Dubai on Monday night for two FIFA friendly matches against the United Arab Emirates.

The 58-year-old coach felt the young team, despite the boycott saga by the seniors, have had a good preparation for the two matches, scheduled for February 26 and March 2.

"It's been a good preparation. I love to say it is really a positive and exciting squad of players; delighted with the group the way they actually did know many things and many topics last two to three weeks.

"The most important thing from my perspective is it is a group for future and looking forward to them. They can make mistakes but they will gain experience," Butler said in his opening speech at the BFF House on Sunday.

Asked how challenging it would be without the senior players, Butler said: "There is no question of senior or junior players. It is a national team. In my opinion, it is a new national team which has new vision and new opportunity to look forward. I think it is a very important fact that I picked the team which was available; I picked the team which has potential… I don't want to distinguish between seniors or juniors."

Asked whether he would accept the rebel players if they decided to return to training, Butler said: "My door is always open, the door to train is always open. The people will decide whether they want to come back. I don't mind it. It is their choice because life moves on with or without them; I will move on with another group of players. If they don't want to come, it is okay but within the group, a small number of players whom I respect for their football quality, whether they have been misguided, or blackmailed, that is their problem, it is not my problem."

Pledging to deliver good results against the UAE, captain Afieda Khandokar said: "I don't feel the their (seniors) absence because I played with them in the U-19 and U-20 groups. The way they practised, we also practised the same way. It is just that they have experience of playing more matches and we may have less experience."