After joining in February 2023 from Lion City Sailors, signing a three-year deal in November 2021 worth reportedly more than S$3 million (HK$17.25million), Kim played seven matches, including five from the bench, in the closing months of 2022-23.

“Even I do not know if he will stay; we need to wait for our club to decide,” Kim Dong-jin said.

Asked whether the player had any chance of featuring in Kitchee’s crucial run-in, when they will target three trophies in a maximum of seven matches, Kim said: “Let’s see, I hope he can train in the next week, but let’s see his situation.”

It was a similar response to the one Kim offered when asked about his centre-forward’s likely availability following a Sapling Cup semi-final victory over Tai Po 17 days earlier.

Kim was signed to help Kitchee compete at AFC Champions League level, after winning the competition with former clubs Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, but he made only two substitute appearances as his team tumbled out of this year’s edition at the group stage.

Former head coach Alex Chu Chi-kwong said following Kim’s capture that he would need “one or two weeks to get match fitness before he can start playing”. Kim made his debut 16 days after signing before missing a fortnight, beginning a pattern of intermittent appearances.

A player with 56 international caps and 16 goals, Kim’s ability is not in question. He scored a hat-trick in his lone Premier League appearance this season, an 8-0 thumping of HKFC, and netted twice in a 45-minute Senior Shield outing against RCFC.

Kitchee were crying out for an individual with Kim’s accuracy in front of goal at the weekend in their game against Tai Po.

And their failure to breach the league’s meanest defence could cost the defending champions dearly. Lee Man beat HKFC 2-0 later on Saturday to open up a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Kitchee have the toughest run-in of the two teams, and even if they win their next three games will probably need something extraordinary on the final day against Lee Man.

The teams will be separated by their head-to-head record if they finish level on points, and Lee Man thumped Kitchee 4-1 in September, the reigning champions’ only defeat this season.

Kitchee thought they had nicked all three points in a frenetic meeting with Tai Po, when Sherzod Temirov turned home a close-range header. The goal looked legal to the naked eye, but VAR eventually detected Helio Goncalves straying into an offside position.

“I do not want to talk any more about VAR,” Kim said. “The VAR and referee are responsible [for decisions], not me. They make the judgment, and they are assessed. I do not want to say anything.”

Kim acknowledged his team “did not finish well”, after carving out a number of openings.

He drew positives, nonetheless, from a third straight clean sheet, and lauded the “mentality” of his players for chasing a winner until 13 minutes of added time expired, despite a late red card for defender Roberto Affonso Junior.

Andrew Russell, sent on as an extra defensive body following Affonso’s dismissal, volleyed against a post in the closing seconds.

“It was like a game of ping pong; they would have a chance, then we would have a chance,” Kim said. “The players kept fighting until the end. We do not give up, and we will keep going for the final four matches.”