Vietnam national team lacks full squad ahead of training camp in South Korea

The Vietnam national team has moved into its fourth training session since assembling on June 22 in preparation for the 2026 ASEAN Cup. Nevertheless, coach Kim Sang Sik has yet to have a complete squad, with several players dealing with physical conditions and injuries.

Speaking to the media before the afternoon training session on June 26, young center-back Nhat Minh stated that the players are still in the recovery process after a long season.

"The V-League and National Cup have just ended, so everyone is still quite tired after enduring a very long season. Besides that, the weather in Hanoi over the past few days has been quite harsh, affecting the players' physical condition.

As for me, my current physical state is still good enough to serve the team. Training and playing alongside my seniors on the national team is a great opportunity to learn. I will do my best to earn a spot on the ASEAN Cup squad this time, and other goals will come in the future," Nhat Minh shared.

Assessing the training atmosphere, the young center-back said the entire team is supporting each other to quickly adapt to the coaching staff's requirements.

"We've only had three to four training sessions so far, so the coach and the whole team are still gradually improving. Everyone always helps each other to have the best possible training sessions. This gathering has a large number of players, so the quality of the sessions hasn't been affected," Nhat Minh added.

In the afternoon training session on June 26, the Vietnam national team was still missing two names: center-back Do Duy Manh and overseas Vietnamese midfielder Khoa Ngo.

On the very first day of the gathering, Khoa Ngo had a discussion with coach Kim Sang Sik and the assistants about his injury condition. The midfielder said he had been playing continuously for a long period.

"My body has never experienced such an intense training and match schedule. When I was in Australia, the season started earlier than the V-League. After returning to Vietnam, I continued playing non-stop until the end of the season. In the two semi-final and final matches of the National Cup, I gritted my teeth to play, so the injury became more serious," Khoa Ngo shared.

Besides Khoa Ngo, defender Le Ngoc Bao (Ninh Binh) and midfielder Khuat Van Khang (The Cong Viettel) are also training separately under medical supervision.

On the positive side, the team received good news as goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang returned to training after a day off due to sinusitis. Two center-backs, Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Nguyen Thanh Chung, also joined the squad.

According to the plan, the Vietnam national team will continue training in Hanoi until the end of July 1 before departing for South Korea for a training camp from July 2 to 14.

There, coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will play three friendly matches against opponents arranged by the Korea Football Association, aiming to review the squad, refine their playing style, and prepare for the campaign to defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.