On the afternoon of Sept. 7, Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC confirmed that Nguyen Van Vi had suffered an injury and would be sidelined for around a month. That means the 1998-born player will not only miss the opening rounds of the 2026/27 LPBank V-League but also FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 with the Vietnam national team. The injury and expected recovery period have also been reported by other Vietnamese media.

Van Vi suffered a calf tear in the second leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand. Phan Tuan Tai came on to replace the Thep Xanh Nam Dinh player.

Van Vi’s absence from FIFA ASEAN Cup is a major loss for Vietnam. During the team’s successful ASEAN Cup title defense, the No. 3 contributed one goal while impressing with his ability to support both attack and defense. Vietnam retained the ASEAN Cup after a 4-2 aggregate victory over Thailand in the final.

With Van Vi unavailable for FIFA ASEAN Cup, coach Kim Sang Sik could recall Cao Pendant Quang Vinh of Cong An Ha Noi FC or continue using Phan Tuan Tai of The Cong Viettel on the left flank.

FIFA ASEAN Cup will take place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5 and is divided into two divisions. Division 1 features the eight strongest teams, with Vietnam drawn in Group B alongside Thailand, the Philippines and Pakistan. Group A consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh, which replaced India after its withdrawal.

According to the schedule, Vietnam will open their campaign against the Philippines at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 26. Three days later, Kim Sang Sik’s side will face Thailand in a highly anticipated clash, also at 7:30 p.m. The reigning ASEAN Cup champions will complete their group-stage campaign against Pakistan at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 2.

Dai Nam