Vietnam national team shows worrying issues after first week of gathering

Vietnam's squad ended its initial week of assembly with no practice session at full strength because many players were injured.

The Vietnam national team wrapped up its first week of training during the June gathering in Hanoi to prepare for the ASEAN Cup 2026, but never once had a full squad on the field. The situation of many players suffering consecutive injuries has prevented coach Kim Sang Sik from operating the lineup as desired, significantly affecting the preparation plan for the upcoming important tournament.

From the very first training session on June 23rd, the team faced a personnel challenge. Although the call-up list included 28 players, the number of those eligible to train each day ranged from only 24 to 26. The continuous absence of many faces made it difficult for the coaching staff to build tactical drills and assess the entire squad's form. This is certainly not what coach Kim Sang Sik wanted in this initial preparation phase.

Notable injury cases include captain Do Duy Manh, overseas Vietnamese midfielder Khoa Ngo, defenders Le Ngoc Bao and Khuat Van Khang. Among them, Khoa Ngo and Duy Manh have not been able to participate in any training since the gathering began, while Ngoc Bao and Van Khang mainly did recovery exercises under medical supervision. Additionally, some sessions also missed Bui Hoang Viet Anh and goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang due to various physical issues.

The personnel situation continued to develop unfavorably when the Vietnam Football Federation decided to let Khoa Ngo return to Australia for injury treatment, reducing the squad to 27 players. If Do Duy Manh does not recover in time, Vietnam's defense will suffer further losses before departing for the ASEAN Cup 2026. The fact that the captain's armband was given to Nguyen Quang Hai also partly indicates that the 1996-born center-back may not return soon.

Nevertheless, the team received positive signals from new faces. The inclusion of striker Nguyen Xuan Son, two naturalized players Do Hoang Hen and Nguyen Tai Loc, and overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang is expected to significantly boost squad strength. However, not being able to train with the full roster has given the coaching staff few opportunities to assemble an optimal lineup and refine tactical plans.

According to the plan, on July 2nd, the Vietnam national team will depart for South Korea for training before entering the ASEAN Cup 2026. Coach Kim Sang Sik hopes that injured players will recover soon so the whole team can enter the most important preparation phase with its strongest lineup. With little time left, stabilizing personnel will be a decisive factor for Vietnam to aim for retaining the regional crown.