Hoang Duc injured, unlikely to attend Asian Cup 2023

Nguyen Hoang Duc suffered from anterior and posterior tibiotalar ligament edema, posterior talofibular ligament edema, and soft tissue edema in his left ankle. The injury is not serious, Hoang Duc needs 2 weeks of rest before he can train normally. However, the Vietnamese team is about to finalize the list for the Asian Cup and has less than 2 weeks to prepare for the opening match against Japan.

Coach Philippe Troussier must make a final decision on January 3. Hoang Duc can still be sent to Qatar and is on the 30-man list. Teams are officially registered with 23 players and 3 goalkeepers, more than before. Therefore, some coaches may consider waiting for their students, provided the injury is not serious.

Hoang Duc is injured.

According to the doctors' diagnosis, Hoang Duc can still play against the Indonesian team in the group stage. However, it is very difficult for the midfielder born in 1998 to play with 100% of his ability and fitness.

Nguyen Hoang Duc has not been a regular in the Vietnam national team recently. He did not play a single minute in the first two matches of the Vietnam national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. Coach Troussier said that the midfielder of Viettel Club has not met his requirements in terms of the ability to contribute to the team's play.

Talking about his student, Coach Troussier said: " If we want to achieve positive results against top teams in the continent like Iraq, the Vietnamese team needs to be more unified, more disciplined, especially in the off-ball organization. Hoang Duc has not met that condition yet.

I know Hoang Duc won the best player award of V.League 2023, but I want him to try harder and contribute more to the team. In the last training session, I always tried to push him to the maximum, and I also want him to understand my wishes .

Although he did not play in the last 2 matches, Hoang Duc is still in coach Troussier's plan. The French coach still wants to find a way to use this midfielder because his ability is undeniable. Therefore, Hoang Duc's injury is still a significant loss for the Vietnamese team.

Currently, Mr. Troussier does not have many quality personnel options that can change the situation on the field. When the Vietnamese team needs a goal, Hoang Duc is still the right choice.

In the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team is in the same group with Japan, Indonesia and Iraq. The Vietnamese team will play the opening match against the Japanese team on January 14.

Mai Phuong

Source: https://vtc.vn/hoang-duc-chan-thuong-kho-du-asian-cup-2023-ar845011.html