Vietnamese national team star Nguyen Quang Hai has been sidelined due to an injury suffered against Singapore in their most recent SEA Games group-stage match.
The midfielder will certainly miss the nation’s decisive final group game against Thailand, and he is likely to also miss the semi-finals, should the Golden Dragons qualify.
Fatigue is another concern for Vietnam and Quang Hai, as he has barely had a break between lengthy spells representing Hanoi FC, the Vietnamese senior national team and now the U23 team at the SEA Games.
BREAKING: Nguyen Quang Hai will miss the remainder of the SEA Games due to a muscle tear suffered during match against Singapore. He might be sidelined for a while..
— Viet Footy (@VietFooty) December 4, 2019
However, it is highly likely that Vietnam will qualify for the semi-finals regardless of his absence. Park Hang-Seo’s men are yet to lose to another Southeast Asian side under his stewardship, and they would need to lose by two or more goals to lose their place in the semi-finals to Thailand.
Vietnam will be hoping that Quang Hai will be back to full fitness for the upcoming AFC U23 Championships in January, which could present the Southeast Asian side with a coveted ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.