Forward Nguyen Dinh Bac suffered an injury during the afternoon training session on March 12 with the Vietnam U22 national team. Dinh Bac experienced pain during the practice session. He was taken from the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center (VYS) field to a hospital for an X-ray. Doctors confirmed that the forward had fractured the fifth metatarsal bone (pinky toe).
Dinh Bac underwent realignment and had his foot placed in a cast. The expected recovery time is between four to eight weeks, depending on individual healing capacity.
The 2004-born forward will thus have to cut short his training stint with the U22 team after just four days. If his recovery progresses well, Dinh Bac could return to play for Hanoi Police FC by June. Meanwhile, the U23 AFC Championship 2026 qualifiers are scheduled for September, and SEA Games 33 will begin in December.
This marks the second time Dinh Bac has been injured while with the U22 team. The first incident occurred during the U23 AFC Championship finals in April 2024, when he had to leave the field in the 12th minute of the opening match, a 3-1 victory over Kuwait. He was later diagnosed with a left ankle ligament injury and missed the rest of the tournament.
Nguyen Dinh Bac began his football training at the SLNA academy. He later moved to Quang Nam and was promoted to the first team in 2023. The forward was the top scorer and best player of the 2023 National First Division, helping Quang Nam secure promotion to the V-League. He made an impression with the national team by scoring the decisive 2-0 goal against the Philippines in the second round of World Cup 2026 qualifiers, followed by a notable performance in the 2-4 loss to Japan in the opening match of the Asian Cup 2023.
After the tournament in Qatar, Dinh Bac faced disciplinary issues related to his personal conduct and was demoted to Quang Nam’s youth team. The 19-year-old forward also stirred controversy when he backed out of a transfer deal to Hanoi FC. Starting from the 2024-2025 season, Dinh Bac has been playing for Hanoi Police FC. He has appeared in 17 matches this season and scored three goals.
With Dinh Bac sidelined, the U22 Vietnam squad is left with 25 players. The four remaining forwards are Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Le Phat (PVF), Nguyen Anh Tuan (Ba Ria Vung Tau), and Nguyen Quoc Viet (Ninh Binh).
The U22 team is currently under the interim leadership of coach Dinh Hong Vinh. After training at VYS, the team will participate in the CFA Team China 2025 friendly tournament, organized by the Chinese Football Association from March 20 to March 25, alongside three other U22 teams: the host nation, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.
This is the second consecutive year Vietnam has been invited to this tournament. The previous edition took place in September 2024, also led by interim coach Dinh Hong Vinh. The team lost 1-2 to China, 0-2 to Uzbekistan, and defeated Malaysia 2-1.
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