The First Division coach denies rumors of a rift with Công Phượng

Coach Việt Thắng confirmed that there is no disagreement with Công Phượng leading to his continuous absence from the field.

Ahead of the match against Thanh Niên TP HCM in the 6th round of the First Division, Trường Tươi Đồng Nai fans eagerly awaited the striker's return Công Phượng. This anticipation grew stronger when the club’s official fanpage posted photos of him training along with the caption announcing the comeback of the "number one star Nguyễn Công Phượng".

However, in the end, Công Phượng was not included in the team’s registered lineup for the match. Although Trường Tươi Đồng Nai secured an impressive 4-2 victory, maintaining their pursuit of the top spot held by Khacoto Khánh Hòa, Đồng Nai supporters’ hopes to see Công Phượng play remain unfulfilled.

Despite the official fanpage showing images of Công Phượng, his continuous omission from the match roster sparked speculation of a fallout with head coach Việt Thắng. However, speaking to Bongdaplus, the Trường Tươi Đồng Nai head coach firmly denied this:

"I love Công Phượng immensely, so how could there be any disharmony? Công Phượng hasn’t fully recovered from his injury yet; he can’t even wear his cleats for training, so how could he play? The team is also facilitating his trip to Singapore for a re-examination of his injury. I don’t know the purpose behind those rumors. For a player of Công Phượng’s caliber, if not him, then who? Not using Công Phượng would be like undermining our own strength."

This marks the seventh consecutive match that Công Phượng has missed due to injury (6 league matches and 1 National Cup match). The 1995-born striker is not only the main offensive spark but also the soul of Đồng Nai’s attacking style. Yet, his contribution this season remains at zero.

After a year back playing in Vietnam, fans are eager to see Công Phượng don the familiar number 10 jersey again. Previously, during the 2024/2025 season, the former HAGL star wore number 70 when he first played for Trường Tươi Đồng Nai. That number brought success as Công Phượng scored 7 goals in the First Division.