Cong Phuong is likely to start for Sint-Truidense; Van Hau and Trong Hoang are injured.

Vietnam team lacks two key players before away match against Thailand

In the announcement after the 2-1 victory over SHB Da Nang in round 21 of V-League, Hanoi FC affirmed, "Van Hau suffered a serious injury, with multiple injuries to his right knee. It is expected that player number 5 will need 4-5 weeks to return to training and competition."

This means that Van Hau will miss the AFC Champions League semi-final against Turkmenistan representative Altyn Asyr on August 20 and 27 and will not be able to attend the away match against Thailand in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers of the Vietnam team on September 5.

Vietnam team lost Dinh Trong and Van Hau in the away match against Thailand. Photo: Internet

In addition to Van Hau and Trong Hoang, Dinh Trong will also definitely be absent from the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers because, according to doctor Tan Jee Lim, the center-back's recovery is very good, but the U22 Vietnam center-back will need 9 months of rest before thinking about returning to the field.

This also means that Coach Park Hang-seo's favorite player cannot join U22 Vietnam to attend the SEA Games at the end of the year in the Philippines from November 30 to December 10, 2019 as well as the U23 Asian Cup in January 2020.

According to plan, on August 26, the Vietnamese team will gather in Hanoi before leaving for Thailand.

VAR technology used in the AFC U23 Championship?

According to FAT Deputy Secretary General Pasanat Supaphong, Thailand is the sole host of the 2020 AFC U23 Championship, so applying this technology will be more convenient. Currently, this country is also rushing to complete the training of VAR referees to be able to use this technology in the final stage of the Thai League 1 this season, as well as the League Cup final.

VAR technology used in the AFC U23 Championship?

The 2020 AFC U23 Championship finals take place from January 8 to January 26, 2020 in the Land of the Golden Temple.

Cong Phuong returns to the competition list, likely to start for Sint-Truidense

Cong Phuong's future at Sint-Truidense seemed to be in big question when the Belgian team was about to recruit Lee Seung Woo - the player known as "Korean Messi", at the same time coach Marc Brys favored striker Yuma Suzuki for a place in the squad. In the match against Standard Liege at home, Cong Phuong was left out of the squad, but the changes in the past few days have opened up the door for the Vietnamese striker to return to the field.

First, Sint-Truidense failed to sign Lee Seung Woo as rumored. Yuma Suzuki was trusted, but the Kashima Antlers striker also failed to prove his ability. Coach Brys removed the Japanese player from the registration list for the match against Royal Antwerp to make way for Cong Phuong.

Will Cong Phuong return to the starting lineup?

In midfield, the competition is also "easier" when Sint-Truidense does not have many bright names for this position. Mr. Brys's 3-4-3 formation also allows Sint-Truidense to field a larger number of midfielders. When playing at Incheon United, Cong Phuong was also assigned by interim coach Lim Joong Yong to play as an attacking midfielder when the player born in 1995 was not effective in the attack.

In the new position, hopefully Cong Phuong will be able to demonstrate his abilities.

How will Barcelona play without Messi and Suarez?

Without the two South American superstars, Barcelona will lack two fearsome guns. Since Suarez arrived at Barca, the Si-Sua duo has become a real nightmare for the teams they face. Last season, this pair scored a total of 76 goals in all competitions, accounting for nearly 79% of The Catalan's total goals.

Griezmann and Dembele will lead Barca's attack in the near future.

Coach Ernesto Valverde will most likely let Barcelona play a 4-4-2 formation, instead of the usual 4-3-3. With this formation, Dembele will most likely play as an attacking midfielder and Griezmann as a striker. This will be a risky but necessary move for Coach Valverde, because many fans were really disappointed when witnessing the performance of these two expensive superstars in the match against Bilbao.