Speedy recovery helps Vietnamese defender play at SEA Games 30

By Lam Thoa   October 27, 2019 | 05:03 am PT
Speedy recovery helps Vietnamese defender play at SEA Games 30
Defender Tran Dinh Trong practices after suffering a lingament injury, July 25, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Anh.
National team defender Tran Dinh Trong will join teammates at the upcoming SEA Games after a fast recovery from a knee injury.

Head coach Park Hang-seo had included Trong in his list of 27 players to compete in the men's football competition at this year's SEA Games held November 25 to December 10.

However, during a V. League 1 match on May 3, Trong suffered a serious knee injury that tore his anterior cruciate ligament, requiring corrective surgery.

Trong’s absence was believed to be a huge loss to the national team, with coach Park Hang-seo considering him a key player in the back.

Fortunately, the Hanoi FC player's improvement has been much quicker than the scheduled nine-month period prescribed originally for recovery.

After the head coach consulted with Trong's doctor, the latter allowed the 22-year-old player make a comeback.

Other familiar and key players in the coach's list are midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai, defender Doan Van Hau, goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung and striker Ha Duc Chinh.

The list is expected to grow further since the coach will recruit more players to the national team in the future. He is waiting for Vietnamese players whom are now old enough, but currently playing for another international teams, to return and try out for the national team.

The same team will also compete in the 2022 World Cup qualifying games next month against Thailand and UAE at home.

The national team will leave for the Philippines November 22 to compete in Group B against Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Laos and Singapore. Group A has hosts the Philippines, Timor Leste, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia.

 
 
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