Midfielder Quang Hai will not be with the Vietnamese team in the two matches against Nepal.

VHO - The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said that midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai will not be able to join the Vietnam national team to prepare for the two matches against Nepal in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup because he has not recovered from his injury.

According to VFF, Quang Hai was taken for an MRI scan to assess the extent of the injury on October 3, one day before the training session. The results showed that the midfielder needed more time to rest to ensure the recovery process.

Quang Hai has not recovered from his injury to join the national team.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik agreed with the doctor's instructions and reported to the VFF leadership that he decided not to call Quang Hai up for this training session, while also encouraging him to focus on treatment.

Coach Kim Sang-sik also did not call up additional replacement players, thereby reducing the current team size to 23 people - exactly the number registered to compete according to the regulations.

Previously, the injury caused Quang Hai to miss three international matches of Hanoi Police Club in AFC Champions League Two and the 2025/26 Southeast Asian Club Championship, as well as being unable to participate in the national team's training session during FIFA Days in September.

As planned, today, October 4, the Vietnamese team will officially gather in Ho Chi Minh City.

Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have 5 days of training before the first leg against Nepal at 7:30 p.m. on October 9 at Go Dau Stadium (Thu Dau Mot, Ho Chi Minh City).

The second leg will take place at 7:30 p.m. on October 14 at Thong Nhat Stadium (HCMC).

After 2 matches in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup Final Qualifiers, the Vietnamese team is ranked second with 3 points after 1 win and 1 loss, 3 points behind the top team Malaysia, equal on points with Laos but ranked higher due to better goal difference.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/tien-ve-quang-hai-khong-cung-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-thi-dau-2-tran-voi-nepal-172355.html