Cong Phuong suffered a serious injury.

VHO - Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong has just delivered bad news to Dong Nai Club and the Vietnamese national team as he will have to prematurely end his 2025/26 season due to a serious cartilage tear injury. Although he will not require surgery, the 1995-born star will still need a long-term recovery period.

Cong Phuong has only played one half in the 2025/26 season.

Information regarding Nguyen Cong Phuong's health status is becoming the focus of public attention as the First Division league has only completed 12 rounds.

Initially, the injury to the striker from Nghe An was considered not too serious, and it was expected that he would only need a few weeks of rest and recovery before returning to the pitch. However, after a period of treatment, Cong Phuong continuously felt unwell, and his training did not yield the expected results, forcing him to undergo further examinations and specialized tests.

The examination results showed that Cong Phuong suffered a torn cartilage. According to the medical team's conclusion, although this injury does not require surgery, the striker of Dong Nai Club must adhere to a recovery and rehabilitation training regimen for a considerable period of time.

With this development, the former HAGL star's journey in this season is effectively over, even though the First Division still has 10 rounds left to play. This season, he only played a single half in the match against Khanh Hoa in round 8 and left a rare mark with the only goal before having to leave the field due to fitness issues.

The absence of Cong Phuong is a significant loss for Dong Nai FC, as his influence and ability to create breakthroughs are always highly valued. However, coach Nguyen Viet Thang can be somewhat reassured as the team has successfully recruited Minh Vuong. In his role as a goalscorer replacing his former teammate, Minh Vuong is showing excellent form, helping Dong Nai FC's attack operate stably.

This injury not only affects the club level but also brings bad news for the Vietnamese national team. With a prolonged recovery period, Cong Phuong is almost certainly unable to be included in the squad preparing for the AFF Cup 2026, which will take place in July.

Even his return to the FIFA ASEAN Cup later this year is uncertain. Since scoring against Palestine in September 2023, Cong Phuong has not had the opportunity to return to the national team due to repeated absences caused by various injuries.

With the national team boasting many promising domestic strikers and quality naturalized forwards, the 31-year-old star's chances of making a comeback are slim unless he can maintain consistent fitness and form.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/cong-phuong-dinh-chan-thuong-nang-213645.html