The 30-year-old goalkeeper was in very good form in the V.League before getting injured and having to leave the field during the match between his Binh Dinh FC and Hai Phong FC on December 27.

According to doctors, Lam was injured in the Achilles tendon, and he could not recover in time for the coming Asian campaign.

Lam was the Vietnamese team’s number one goalkeeper under coach Park Hang-seo. He and other players of the Vietnamese team won the AFF Cup 2018, reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup 2019 and played in the third qualifying round of the World Cup 2022 for the first time.

Without Lam, Filip Nguyen of Hanoi Police FC will be incumbent coach Philippe Troussier’s primary choice. The neutralized goalkeeper has acquired much experience playing in Europe, alongside possessing good foot skills.

Two other players - midfielder Nguyen Duc Chien and striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan – will also miss the Asian Cup 2023 due to injuries. Duc Chien suffered damage to his left transverse pubic bone, while Thanh Nhan suffered an ankle injury.

Vietnamese players are training in Hanoi before flying to Qatar on January 5 for the Asian campaign. While staying in Qatar, they will have a friendly match against the Kyrgyzstan team on January 9.

AFC Asian Cup 2023 will take place in Doha, Qatar, from January 12 to February 10, 2024, with the participation of 24 teams. The teams are divided into six groups, and at the end of the group stage, the top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams will win tickets to the round of 16.

Vietnam play in Group D alongside Japan, Indonesia and Iraq. They are scheduled to take on Japan on January 14, Indonesia on January 19 and Iraq on January 24.

Source: VOV