Why is Hai Duong striker Van Toan not on the Vietnam national team?

Nguyen Van Toan has said goodbye to the Vietnamese national team after suffering an ankle injury for nearly a month. The striker born in 1996 was called up to prepare for two matches against Russia and Thailand. On the morning of August 23, he underwent another medical examination but will definitely not be able to play during the upcoming FIFA Days.

Phan Van Duc was chosen to replace Nguyen Van Toan. The player born in 1996 is in good form, showing his ability in the first match of the 2024/2025 Southeast Asian Club Cup. He scored the goal to help Hanoi Police Club defeat Buriram United in Group A.

At this time, coach Kim Sang-sik is in need of new personnel options in the phase of building a playing style for the Vietnamese team. Phan Van Duc has been absent for nearly 2 years and he could be a "new breeze".

According to the plan, the Vietnamese team will start training from August 30 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will have 6 days to prepare for the opening match against the Russian team at the LPBank Cup 2024.

This international friendly tournament organized by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is considered a football event that attracts the attention of a large number of fans and is of great significance to the Vietnam national team in its preparation for the 2024 Southeast Asian Football Championship taking place at the end of the year.

With the participation of two highly qualified guest teams, the Russian team (ranked 33rd in the world, on the FIFA rankings, having participated in the World Cup 11 times) and the Thai team (one of the top teams in Southeast Asia), the tournament will be an opportunity for the Vietnamese team players to compete, improve their skills and tactics, and also create conditions for Vietnamese football fans to enjoy exciting competitions.