HÀ NỘI — Midfielder Phạm Mạnh Hùng of Sông Lam Nghệ An and striker Trần Minh Vương of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai have to rest for the next V.League rounds because of injuries.

Hùng tore a knee ligament in a round-four match last week and needs surgery. Doctors said it would take him from seven to eight months to recover, which means that the national player will be out of action for this whole season.

Hùng’s absence is a strong blow to coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng’s defence as his defender Trần Đình Hoàng is recovering from a knee cartilage surgery and can return only in May.

“My key players are injured, and their young teammates are not experienced enough. Hoàng and Hùng’s absence will bring me a lot of difficulty. I will have to carefully work out the next steps,” coach Thắng said.

Sông Lam Nghệ An have won only one game in five rounds, the others being two draws and two losses.

They will next visit Quảng Ninh Coal this weekend.

In the case of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, forward Vương had a relapse of his ligament injury after their first win over Cần Thơ in V.League on Sunday.

The former champions have not made any official announcement about Vương, but it is believed that he will stay back while Hoàng Anh Gia Lai play at Becamex Bình Dương’s Gò Đậu Stadium this Sunday.

For this weekend, midfielder Lê Quốc Phương of FLC Thanh Hóa will also be on the bench as he has been slapped with a two-match ban by the Việt Nam Football Federation for a dangerous foul against Âu Văn Hoàn of HCM City FC. The foul, HCM City FC’s president Lê Công Vinh said, may have caused serious injury to Hoàn’s legs and may affect his team’s strength. — VNS