The Vietnamese national team and the problem of Tiến Linh's absence.

Midway through the second half of the match between Binh Duong FC and The Cong Viettel (March 8th), Tien Linh suffered a knee injury and had to leave the field on a stretcher. Initial assessments suggest the 1997-born striker has a soft tissue problem, not too complicated. However, due to swelling in his knee, the reigning Vietnamese Golden Ball winner needs further examination in 2-3 days for the most accurate diagnosis. Regardless of the severity, coach Kim will need to consider a replacement.

Tien Linh suffered an injury in the match against The Cong Viettel Club.

Tien Linh's injury stems from the fact that he has played an excessive amount of matches over the past year. According to statistics website Transfermarkt, since March 2024, he has played a total of 50 matches in all competitions for both Binh Duong FC and the Vietnamese national team. That's a tremendous number for a domestic player. Since the 2024 AFF Cup, he has had almost no rest. Furthermore, given that opponents like Cambodia and Laos are relatively weaker than the Vietnamese national team, allowing Tien Linh to rest and recover is reasonable. This also gives coach Kim an opportunity to experiment with different personnel and tactical options.

Among the forwards called up to the Vietnamese national team for this training camp, either Bui Vi Hao or Dinh Thanh Binh will be chosen to lead the attack in place of Tien Linh. Compared to Tuan Hai, who is better at playing on the wing or as an attacking midfielder, these two players are more suitable for the center forward position thanks to their decent physique, ability to compete, and strong attacking prowess. The preferred choice is likely to be Vi Hao. The 2024 Vietnamese Young Player of the Year is currently in excellent form for Binh Duong FC, with 2 goals and 3 assists in 16 appearances in the V-League. In particular, the striker from An Giang is favored by coach Kim Sang-sik for his excellent defensive support, tirelessly contributing to both attack and defense. At Binh Duong FC, Vi Hao often drops deep to play as a full-back, which helps his defensive skills improve day by day. Thanh Binh also has a similar playing style to Vi Hao but is not as fast or strong as his younger teammate. Therefore, the Ninh Binh club striker could become a backup option for Vi Hao.

Coach Kim Sang-sik might consider pushing Hoang Duc forward to play as a striker. The midfielder from Hai Duong has a good physique, impressive agility in tight spaces, and is extremely dangerous when he has the ball near the opponent's penalty area. In the past, Hoang Duc has also played this role many times. If the South Korean strategist pushes Hoang Duc further up the field, the remaining midfield spot could be given to Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, a midfielder currently showing excellent form for Binh Duong FC. The 2001-born newcomer isn't as good at passing as Hoang Duc, but he can create disruption with his dribbling and breakthrough abilities. In addition, the energy that Minh Khoa brings could also give creative players like Quang Hai, Hai Long, etc., more freedom.

If he wants to add a center forward from the V-League, Mr. Kim could consider two names: Nham Manh Dung or Nguyen Van Tung. However, these players haven't shown much promise when given the opportunity to play for the Vietnamese national team.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-and-bai-toan-vang-tien-linh-185250309184241459.htm