Since July 7, after breaking the knee ligament, center-back Chuong Thi Kieu has worked hard to come back.
Can Chuong Thi Kieu play at the 2023 World Cup?
But since that time, the "steel shield" of the Vietnamese women's team has never been in the best shape.
However, coach Mai Duc Chung still let her follow the team to practice and maintain the feeling of the ball.
During a training tour in Germany to prepare for the 2023 World Cup, coach Mai Duc Chung decided to let the Kien Giang player play for about 15 minutes in the match against Schott Mainz club.
Although only facing a weak opponent, Kieu still proved to be quite shy and did not maintain flexibility.
Most recently, in two friendly matches before the 2023 World Cup against New Zealand and Spain, Chuong Thi Kieu was not allowed to play a minute.
During the time when the player born in 1995 suffered an injury, coach Mai Duc Chung continuously tested Diem My, Tran Thi Thu or Thu Huong for the central defender position of the Vietnamese women's team.
Although these players have partly met the requirements of the coaching staff, they still have a huge gap to reach the level of Chuong Thi Kieu.
Besides the height of 1m66, the player on the staff of Ho Chi Minh City Club I also showed good reading ability and was a leader in the defense of the Vietnamese women's team.
At the 2023 World Cup, the red shirt team fell into a group with good attacking opponents such as the US, the Netherlands or Portugal.
The defensive task of the Vietnamese women's team must be put first and if Chuong Thi Kieu cannot play, it will be a great loss.
There are still no details on the injury situation of the 27-year-old midfielder.
But the fact that she was not allowed to play in recent friendlies increased the fans' worries.
According to the schedule, the Vietnamese women's team will play the opening match of the 2023 World Cup against the US on July 22.
