Defender to miss World Cup qualifiers following motorbike accident

The 27-year-old defender was hit by a motorbike going in the opposite direction in Hanoi on Monday night. Manh went to hospital and got stitches in his foot, which will take at least two weeks to heal.

The national team are preparing to play the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Manh is the only defender to start all of Vietnam's six friendly matches under coach Philippe Troussier so far.

Center-back Bui Tien Dung, who has not played any matches under Troussier, was called up to replace Manh.

Before Manh, the team was already missing midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai and left-back Doan Van Hau due to injuries. Center-back Que Ngoc Hai is also not fit. The current list of healthy defenders includes Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Giap Tuan Duong (CAHN), Nguyen Thanh Binh and Phan Tuan Tai (Viettel FC) and Luong Duy Cuong (SHB Da Nang).

Manh will also miss Hanoi FC's match against China’s Wuhan Three Towns in the third match of the AFC Champions League group stage on Wednesday. He was already absent from the third round of the V. League when Hanoi lost to CAHN on Nov. 3, due to fitness problems.

Manh is a talent of Hanoi FC’s youth academy who was promoted to the first team in 2015, playing as a midfielder. Later on, he played as a center-back under former national coach Park Hang-seo, along with Bui Tien Dung and Tran Dinh Trong to form a trio in the defense of the U23 team. In the national team, Manh and Ngoc Hai have been the top two choices for the defense in the past five years.

Vietnam will have a week of training before shortening their squad list to 28 players. On Nov 13, the team will fly to Manila and have three more training sessions before finalizing the list of 23 players for their opening match of the 2026 World Cup second qualifying round against the Philippines on Nov. 16.

On Nov. 21, Vietnam will return home to take on Iraq.