Coach Kim Sang-sik has called up Xuan Son for the November training camp.
Coach Kim Sang-sik called up Nguyen Xuan Son in November to assess his fitness and plan his attacking strategy. He was sidelined for almost a year, scoring 7 goals at the 2024 AFF Cup.
The decision to call up Nguyen Xuan Son for the November training camp is a strategic move by coach Kim Sang-sik: to observe his recovery process firsthand, rather than to use him immediately. After nearly a year away from the pitch due to an injury sustained in the second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final, the striker, considered one of the most complete center forwards in Vietnamese football, has returned and requires a cautious recovery plan.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's plan: call them up to test them, don't rush to use them.
Over the past 10 months, Xuan Son's journey has mainly involved rehabilitation and therapy, gradually returning to off-ball exercises before touching the ball again in the Nam Dinh jersey. He had his final test in a friendly match between Nam Dinh and PVF-CAND Youth in October, but his touches, control, and passing still need time to regain their fluidity.
Despite being named the best player of the 2024 AFF Cup with 7 goals, the 28-year-old striker's current physical condition and match fitness are unlikely to reach the team's overall level after a long break. Therefore, coach Kim Sang-sik has good reason to call him up: through training sessions and training plans, the coaching staff can directly assess his level of readiness – a method previously used by coach Park Hang-seo with players returning from injury.
On the other hand, the November training camp only includes one match against Laos. This is a suitable timeframe for Coach Kim to reserve a spot for Xuan Son to assess him and develop a detailed return plan, rather than pushing him back into competition too soon.
The value of a top-class striker with firepower for the Vietnamese national team.
The favoritism shown towards Xuan Son stems from the value he brings. He is a center forward with strength, stamina, the ability to win one-on-one challenges, and effective finishing – exactly what the national team is lacking. Since Xuan Son's absence, the Vietnamese team's goal-scoring performance has declined significantly, even though Coach Kim has tried many options, from strikers in their prime like Tien Linh and Gia Hung to young talents like Dinh Bac, but no worthy replacement has yet been found.
At the peak of his form, Xuan Son helped the national team shorten many stages in the attacking phase. The striker of Brazilian descent only needed a well-placed pass to create opportunities and make a difference. His ability to resolve situations on his own forced opponents to constantly mark him, thereby creating space for his teammates.
A cautious roadmap to March 2026
The realistic goal is for the Vietnamese national team to have Xuan Son in peak physical condition by March 2026, when he returns to playing regularly for Nam Dinh and has about 5 months to regain his form. From now until then, coach Kim Sang-sik will likely use him cautiously, step by step, and in a controlled manner, avoiding the risk of injury recurrence due to returning too soon or playing through pain.
Significance of the November training camp
With only one match against Laos in this training camp, the coaching staff's highest priority is observing Xuan Son's physical reactions and recovery progress through each training session. All of this is aimed at serving the long-term goal: bringing him back at the right time, in his best possible condition.
Xuan Son is a valuable asset to Vietnamese football. When the Nam Dinh striker returns to his best form, coach Kim Sang-sik's team has the basis to restore their firepower and become more unpredictable in their approach to the opponent's goal.
