Doan Van Hau and Xuan Son are about to return

2 years of absence and 15 minutes of return

On the evening of October 11, Hanoi Police Club played a practice match with Hanoi FC, in preparation for the return of V.League next weekend. The two teams agreed to divide the match into 3 rounds, each lasting 30 minutes. For Hanoi FC, this is an opportunity for new coach Harry Kewell to assert himself, after a few days of officially taking the "hot seat". On the other hand, Mr. Mano Polking wants to take this opportunity to create conditions for many reserve players to compete. In particular, Doan Van Hau - a player who has been absent for 2 years due to a heel injury - played for the police representative in the last 15 minutes of the last round.

photo 1 (2).jpg -0 — Doan Van Hau gradually returned.

This is exactly the feeling that Van Hau has been suffering for the past 24 months. The seemingly simple Achilles tendonitis injury has persisted and deprived this top-class left-back of the opportunity to compete continuously from club level to the national team. This is also a big lesson in Van Hau's career, when he was subjective about the level of damage in his right heel. Initially, when he went to Singapore for a check-up, Van Hau was assessed by doctors there that he did not need surgery. He only needed to wear a specialized brace to support his movement and had to rest for 1-2 months. However, the recovery rate did not go as expected. Flights to the lion island did not help Van Hau improve. In fact, he was predicted to have to rest for another 6-8 months due to a more serious injury than previously diagnosed.

Van Hau’s friends admit that there were times when the player lost his patience. He “praised everywhere” in the hope of finding the right doctor. One time, Van Hau felt pain when trying to put on his shoes and run a few meters. He was very disappointed with the problem he encountered. Finally, this player went to Korea and decided to have surgery at the beginning of this year. At the same time, the post-surgery process and physical therapy must last from 8 to 12 months.

Knowing that he would have to rest more, Van Hau was sad but understood his situation. He gradually participated in the recovery process with increasing levels. Recently, according to the coaching staff of the Hanoi Police Club, Van Hau has completed the individual recovery phase and can now participate in the general training program. The defender born in 1999 responded well to the exercises, and was even able to participate in moderate confrontations. This is certainly a sign that the recovery process is going smoothly.

“It’s hard to say exactly when Van Hau will return to official competition,” said coach Mano Polking. “The only thing I can say is that I’m very happy to have him back. I’ve been a big fan of Van Hau for a long time.” The strategist decided to let Van Hau play in the last 15 minutes of the match against his old team Hanoi FC. This period of time may be short for many players. But for someone who has not played at the top level for 2 years, these are truly happy moments.

Van Hau shared photos of himself returning to the field on social media. He understands that this is not the time to return to playing at his best. The recovery period for the player from Hung Yen (formerly Thai Binh ) is likely to last another 2-3 months. “Up to now, I can consider myself graduated from the rehabilitation center. I have practiced with the ball and started practicing with my teammates again. First, I will warm up, pass the ball, compete, then play for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes and gradually increase. This period of time is very difficult. Since September 2023, I have not played. Now I cannot say well, I just hope everything goes well. I hope my efforts will be rewarded and I can play again,” Doan Van Hau expressed from the bottom of his heart.

Here it is, Xuan Son!

On the same day Van Hau returned to the field, striker Nguyen Xuan Son also returned for an equivalent 15 minutes. On the evening of October 11, Nam Dinh had a friendly match with PVF-CAND Youth. Coach Vu Hong Viet decided to let Xuan Son play in the final part of the match, hoping to help him regain his ball feeling after 10 months of injury treatment.

The naturalized striker had a dream start to his international career, when he helped Vietnam win the AFF Cup 2024. He also won the title of Best Player of the tournament and Top Scorer, thanks to his continuous scoring for the “Golden Star Warriors” in important matches against Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. However, in the second leg of the final, Xuan Son’s attempt to pass the ball into the Thai penalty area to his teammate caused him to break a bone.

Thanks to the efforts of his fellow doctors, the striker was soon operated on before entering the post-operative process. From walking on crutches, practicing walking without crutches, limping, running short distances, practicing with a ball, and now competing in matches, Xuan Son calmly carried out the physical therapy stages according to the advice of the consulting doctor.

According to Nam Dinh FC, in the short 15 minutes on the field, Xuan Son quickly showed off his running steps and neat, decisive handling. That shows the good recovery state of this player after the break. It is likely that Nam Dinh FC will register Nguyen Xuan Son from the second leg of V.League 2025/26, which is early next year. That will probably be the time when this striker is ready to start, after regaining his competitive feeling and physical condition. In addition, Xuan Son's return in early 2026 is also a mental lever for the Vietnam National Team.

Most likely in March 2026, when hosting Malaysia at home, Vietnam will have both Xuan Son and Van Hau in their best condition.

No rush yet
As mentioned above, the clubs and Van Hau and Xuan Son themselves are not impatient to "burn" the stage. The parties involved all understand that patience will help them avoid the same mistakes as many cases have encountered in the past.
For Nam Dinh FC, they have gotten used to life without Xuan Son, putting their trust in Brenner, Kyle Hudlin or Hansen. Meanwhile, for Hanoi Police FC, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh has also gradually filled the position left by Van Hau on the left wing.
With the Vietnam national team, Quang Vinh is also gradually replacing Van Hau's left wing role. However, with Xuan Son's position, Tuan Hai, Gia Hung or Tien Linh are not qualified enough to temporarily replace the naturalized striker.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/doan-van-hau-xuan-son-sap-tro-lai-i784432/