Quang Hai withdrew from the Vietnamese national team for the second consecutive time.

Before the Vietnam national team gathered today (October 4), Quang Hai was taken for an MRI scan to assess the extent of damage to his right shoulder joint. The results showed that the midfielder needed more time to rest to ensure the recovery process.

Coach Kim Sang Sik agreed with the doctor's instructions and reported to the VFF leadership that he decided not to call Quang Hai up for this training session, and at the same time encouraged him to focus on treatment.

Quang Hải lần thứ 2 liên tiếp rút khỏi đội tuyển Việt Nam - 1 — Quang Hai missed the Vietnam national team training session (Photo: VFF).

Thus, this is the second consecutive time Quang Hai has not been called up to the Vietnam national team due to injury. Previously, during the September training session, after being named in the list, the player wearing the number 19 shirt also asked to withdraw from the national team. It is worth mentioning that, just a few days later, he still appeared in the friendly match between the Hanoi Police Club and the Vietnam national team.

Although Quang Hai missed the training session this time, coach Kim Sang Sik did not call up additional replacement players, thereby the current team size is 23 people, exactly the number registered to compete according to the regulations.

The list of players to be recruited includes 8 young faces from the U23 generation who just won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and qualified for the 2026 Asian U23 Championship, including: Tran Trung Kien, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Nhat Minh and Nguyen Dinh Bac. The presence of this group of young players promises to bring a breath of fresh air and more tactical options to the team.

In addition, the team also continues to maintain its core force with many veterans with extensive international competition experience such as Do Duy Manh, Bui Tien Dung, Pham Xuan Manh, Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Cao Quang Vinh, Nguyen Tien Linh and other familiar pillars.

The combination of youth and experience is expected to create depth and balance for the squad, ensuring both succession and stability in the playing style. This is also the long-term orientation of the team in the process of establishing a new generation squad to aim for important goals ahead.

According to the plan, on October 4, the Vietnamese team will officially gather in Ho Chi Minh City. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will have 5 days of training before the first leg against Nepal at 7:30 p.m. on October 9 at Go Dau Stadium (Thu Dau Mot, Ho Chi Minh City). The second leg will take place at 7:30 p.m. on October 14 at Thong Nhat Stadium (Ho Chi Minh City).