Vietnam to play big matches without key defender

Although the 24-year-old defender had previously said that his recovery is going well, he won’t be able to make it in time for AFF Cup 2020 which will take place by the end of this year.

"Manh’s injury will need a long time to fully recover. We can’t really tell exactly when, but it will not be sooner than January 2021," said football expert Nguyen Trong Huong.

Before he can return to the field, Manh will have to train for one or two months. The training duration will start at 60 minutes and then increase to 90 minutes. When he starts playing again, Manh will only play for 30 minutes at first before it is increased to 45 and later, the full game.

According to a representative of the Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents (PVF), Manh can return to training in November this year.

Another key defender, Tran Dinh Trong, is expected to recover in time for both the tournaments this year. He is currently in training and is expected to return to play in September.

Vietnam will play the rest of their matches in World Cup 2022 qualifiers in October and November. Then they will defend their AFF Cup title at the tournament played from November 23 to December 31.