Vietnam to lose key defender for Saudi Arabia game

Hau was called up to the national team in early August for training. However, he had to train with a doctor because of an ongoing ailment.

Doctors say it would take at least a month for Hau to fully recover from his injury. Therefore, he won’t go with the team to Saudi Arabia. The chance for him to recover in time for the game with Australia in Hanoi on Sept. 7 is also slim.

A torn meniscus has been a big problem for Hau since he got injured in a game for Hanoi FC back in September last year. Although he underwent surgery, returning to play too early exacerbated the injury. Hau was 80 percent en route to recovery when he played three games of the second World Cup qualifying round in June.

The 22-year-old is a key player in the defensive line of the national team with the ability to play as left-back and center-back. He has won the AFF Cup 2018 and SEA Games gold medal 2019.

The national team will play a friendly with the U22 team on Thursday. Later, Park will choose 25 players out of 31 for the Saudi Arabia game.