The absence of Pham Xuan Manh poses a difficult challenge for SLNA.
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to an injury sustained in the match between SLNA and Nam Dinh in round 18, the player born in 1996 will have to be sidelined for about two weeks.
This is extremely disappointing news for the SLNA coaching staff and fans in Nghe An province. The absence of Pham Xuan Manh will significantly impact the team's strength in the coming period, as Manh "Kalou" is of considerable importance to SLNA.
Returning after a long period of injury recovery, Pham Xuan Manh has consistently been favored by coach Nguyen Duc Thang in recent matches. To date, the midfielder from Yen Thanh has played 827 minutes and contributed one assist for SLNA (a pass that helped Ho Tuan Tai score in the 2-2 draw against Saigon on May 31st).
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| Pham Xuan Manh will need approximately two weeks to recover from his injury. (Photo: Archival image) |
Possessing excellent physical fitness and an enthusiastic yet intelligent playing style, Pham Xuan Manh not only excels in his role as an attacking player but also performs exceptionally well in defensive support. It's no exaggeration to say that the 23-year-old is one of SLNA's most consistent performers recently.
Notably, Mạnh “Kalou” is a very versatile player. Besides playing as a right winger, the 1996-born player also frequently takes on the roles of left winger, left full-back, and right full-back.
In the match against Saigon (July 16th), Pham Xuan Manh was deployed as a left-back, replacing Tran Dinh Dong. In the match against HAGL (July 21st), the former Vietnam U23 national team player was moved to the opposite flank to fill in for Tran Dinh Hoang due to a suspension. Pham Xuan Manh performed his assigned duties excellently. Unfortunately, due to the injury he sustained at Thien Truong Stadium, Manh “Kalou” will be sidelined for about two weeks. It is highly likely that the player wearing number 11 will miss all three of SLNA's upcoming matches (against Viettel on August 2nd, against Hai Phong on August 11th, and against Khanh Hoa on August 18th).
Losing a talented and versatile player like Pham Xuan Manh presents a very difficult challenge for the SLNA coaching staff.
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| Will Cao Xuan Thang (left) replace Pham Xuan Manh? (Photo: Archival image) |
In the match against Viettel, with the return of striker Olaha, it is highly likely that Ho Tuan Tai will be deployed by the coaching staff in the left wing position. Thus, the right wing position, left vacant by Pham Xuan Manh, will be a competition between Cao Xuan Thang, Nguyen Quang Tinh, Ho Phuc Tinh, and Nguyen Sy Nam.
In many respects, Cao Xuan Thang is the strongest candidate to replace Pham Xuan Manh. Since the beginning of the 2019 season, the player wearing number 17 has been used many times by coach Nguyen Duc Thang in both the right and left wing positions and has performed quite successfully. Besides scoring against B.Binh Duong in round 3, Cao Xuan Thang has also created many good scoring opportunities for his teammates, notably the assist for Vo Ngoc Toan's goal against Saigon in round 12.
