Vietnam team in crisis: Many key players injured before match against Malaysia
Coach Kim Sang-sik is facing a difficult personnel problem, as a series of Vietnamese players are injured right before the crucial match against Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.
In less than two months, the Vietnamese team will travel to Bukit Jalil Stadium to face the Malaysian team in the penultimate match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round. However, as the domestic tournament enters a tense phase, the storm of injuries is making the national team's coaching staff "restless".
In the match between Hai Phong Club and Hanoi in round 18 of the 2024/25 V-League National Championship, goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu was unexpectedly not registered to play. According to information from the Hai Phong team, Dinh Trieu suffered from food poisoning and calf pain, and is currently being closely monitored by the medical team. It is expected that he may have to sit out the next two to three rounds, meaning that he will be unable to participate in the match against Malaysia next June.
This is not the first time the goalkeeper has had health problems this year. In March, Dinh Trieu suffered a bruised intestine and a relapse of his back injury, almost causing coach Kim Sang-sik to drop him from the national team training session during the FIFA Days.
Not only Dinh Trieu, the Vietnamese team also received more bad news about its force. Midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan was recently discovered to have a broken fibula during a training session and had to use crutches to watch the match at Hang Day Stadium. The player born in 1994 will be out of action until the end of the season and will definitely be absent from the next training session.
Another unfortunate case is striker Bui Vi Hao. He suffered a torn ankle ligament, ankle and fibula injuries, requiring surgery. Vi Hao will not only miss the match against Malaysia but will also have difficulty recovering in time for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers as well as the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
In addition, midfielder To Van Vu (Nam Dinh Blue Steel Club) has been confirmed to have torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right leg and is recovering after surgery. He will have to rest for a long time.
The injury list doesn’t stop there. Youngster Nguyen Dinh Bac broke his toe and will be out for six to eight weeks. Centre-back Pham Ly Duc is training separately with a knee injury, and there is no set date for his return.
The match against Malaysia on June 10 is considered the "final" of the Vietnamese team in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. This is the time when every point can decide the ticket to the 2027 Asian Football Championship Finals.
After the first round of matches, the Vietnamese team is facing fierce competition for one of the two leading positions in the group to qualify for the next round. In the context of the host team Malaysia having stable performance and owning the home advantage of Bukit Jalil with tens of thousands of fans, coach Kim Sang-sik and his students will face great pressure, both professionally and mentally.
The absence of many key players due to injuries has forced the Korean coach to make new calculations about tactics and personnel. New faces who are performing well in the V-League will likely be given opportunities.
''The second round of matches will take place on June 10, when Malaysia will host Vietnam. This is considered the first leg of the final in Group F. In this final qualifying round, only the team that finishes first in the group will qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup''.