HOT: Công Phượng suffers severe injury, bad news for Vietnam national team

Forward Nguyễn Công Phượng is reported to have sustained a serious injury, and is likely to be sidelined for the entire 2025/26 season.

According to multiple sources, the forward Nguyễn Công Phượng is said to have suffered a cartilage tear injury. Although surgery is not required, this injury still necessitates a relatively long recovery period. This also means the star born in 1995 will not be able to continue playing for the remainder of the 2025/26 season with Trường Tươi Đồng Nai, even though the First Division still has 10 rounds left.

In the 2025/26 season, Công Phượng only managed to play one half in the match against Khánh Hòa in round 8 of the First Division and left his mark with a goal. After that, he was almost absent for the rest of the season due to recurring injury issues.

This is clearly unfortunate for the forward from Nghệ An, as his contributions on the pitch this season have been quite limited. Nevertheless, Công Phượng's influence while wearing the Đồng Nai club jersey is still considered very significant.

With this injury, Công Phượng will almost certainly not be included in the Vietnam national team's roster preparing for the AFF Cup 2026, which takes place in July next year. Additionally, the former HAGL player is highly likely to also miss the FIFA ASEAN Cup taking place later this year.

Công Phượng has not returned to the national team since September 2023, when he scored in a friendly match against Palestine. Since then, the forward born in 1995 has continuously missed national team call-ups due to various injuries.

In the context where the Vietnam national team possesses many quality naturalized forwards, along with the clear progress of domestic strikers, the opportunity for Công Phượng to reappear is limited if he cannot ensure his physical condition and performance while playing for Trường Tươi Đồng Nai. This is certainly regrettable for the 31-year-old player, who once captivated fans with his technical handling and sharp finishing ability.