The Vietnamese national team is forced to say goodbye to Duy Mạnh just before the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

After evaluation by the medical team, it was confirmed that defender Đỗ Duy Mạnh does not yet fulfill the fitness standards needed to keep training with Vietnam's squad ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

This means that head coach Kim Sang Sik will have to remove Duy Mạnh from the preparation list for the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

This is a significant loss for the Vietnamese team. Đỗ Duy Mạnh is an experienced anchor in the defense and often takes on the captain's role.

"Following a period of monitoring and professional assessment, the medical departments of the Vietnamese national team and Hanoi FC have agreed that central defender Đỗ Duy Mạnh needs more time to fully recover from his injury.

Therefore, Duy Mạnh will not be included in the Vietnamese national team's roster for the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

The health and long-term recovery of the player are always the top priority. We wish Duy Mạnh a speedy return to peak condition so he can continue contributing to the Vietnamese national team on the journey ahead," stated the announcement on Hanoi FC's official website.

This afternoon, head coach Kim Sang Sik personally met with and encouraged Đỗ Duy Mạnh before his departure from the team. The South Korean tactician took time to talk and motivate his player to focus on treatment for a full recovery, thereby returning stronger in the Vietnamese national team's colors during future training camps.

Earlier, central defender Ngọc Bảo also had to leave the team due to injury, leaving the coaching staff once again facing a personnel challenge in the defensive line.

Duy Mạnh's knee injury recurred before he joined the national team camp. Throughout the assembly period preparing for the 2026 ASEAN Championship, Đỗ Duy Mạnh consistently demonstrated a professional attitude and effort in his recovery process.

In the final days of the training camp in South Korea, the Hanoi FC defender was able to return to ball training under the guidance of the medical staff. However, professional assessments showed that he still needs more time to reach optimal physical condition before returning to competitive play.

Following the absence of Đỗ Duy Mạnh and earlier Lê Ngọc Bảo, coach Kim Sang Sik will consider calling up additional reinforcements to ensure the Vietnamese national team's squad numbers for the 2026 ASEAN Championship.

The Vietnamese national team has just returned home after finishing their training camp in South Korea, continuing to finalize the last preparations before moving to Thái Nguyên on July 17 to play an international friendly against Myanmar on July 18. This is considered a crucial dress rehearsal, helping the coaching staff complete their final assessments of personnel and tactical options before participating in the 2026 ASEAN Championship.

According to the plan, on the morning of July 20, coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will depart for Thailand to begin their journey to defend the ASEAN Championship 2026 title.

The Vietnamese national team will play their opening match against Timor-Leste on July 24 at Chonburi Stadium, aiming for a favorable start to their campaign to defend the regional title.