In the 38th minute of the match between the Vietnamese team and Malaysia in the second match of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup final qualifiers, center back Nguyen Thanh Chung was injured and could not continue playing.
Before that, Thanh Chung had once lay on the field after a dispute with a Malaysian player. Thanh Chung is likely to have problems in the knee area.
Immediately, coach Kim Sang-sik decided to put Xuan Manh on the field to fill Thanh Chung's position in the 3-defender formation of the Vietnam national team, along with Do Duy Manh and Bui Tien Dung.
Thanh Chung's injury has more or less affected the operation of the Vietnamese team's playing style. After Thanh Chung left the field, the Vietnamese team struggled to defend against the heavy attacks of the Malaysian team.
The match against Malaysia is an important match, affecting the goal of winning a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals. With the opponent adding many quality naturalized players, coach Kim Sang-sik decided to send a squad without any strikers to explore the opponent's playing style and tactics.
