Vietnam's U23 team breathes a sigh of relief as 19-year-old prodigy sets return date

Ninh Binh Club has officially updated the injury status of young forward Nguyen Le Phat, following an incident during training on March 15.

According to the announcement from the ancient capital's football club, Le Phat suffered a shoulder injury after a collision during training and was immediately taken to the hospital for examination. Initially, the situation caused concern as the 2007-born forward appeared very distressed, with potential concerns even involving a bone fracture.

However, subsequent diagnostic results brought positive news. Specifically, Le Phat only suffered a shoulder dislocation and does not require surgical intervention. Doctors successfully performed bone repositioning, helping the young player avoid the worst-case scenario. It is expected that he will be discharged from the hospital on March 18 and will need approximately one month to recover before returning to normal training.

Although not overly severe, this injury still prevents Le Phat from participating in the upcoming U23 Vietnam training camp. This is considered a significant loss for the youth team, as the 19-year-old forward is one of the standout figures of the next generation.

Previously, Le Phat left a clear mark wearing the Vietnam U23 jersey in continental competition. He scored one goal against UAE U23 and provided one assist against Kyrgyzstan U23, contributing to the team's bronze medal win. His impressive form led to expectations that this striker would continue to play a key role in the CFA Team China 2026 tournament.

Le Phat's absence forces the coaching staff to make personnel adjustments. According to plan, U23 Vietnam will assemble from March 17 in Hanoi, before finalizing a shortened list of 25 players on March 23. The CFA Team China friendly tournament will take place in Xi'an (China) from March 25 to 31, featuring four teams: U23 Vietnam, U23 China, U23 Thailand, and U23 North Korea.

In the context where head coach Kim Sang Sik is busy with national team duties, assistant coach Dinh Hong Vinh will temporarily assume the role of acting head coach for U23 Vietnam in this tournament.