Midfielder Nguyễn Tuấn Anh (left) has recovered from his injury and is ready for upcoming V.League 1 and the national team. Photo nld.com.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI - National team midfielder Nguyễn Tuấn Anh has recovered from his injury and is ready for the upcoming V.League 1 season, his club Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) has announced.

The club said Anh trained with his teammates fully and is ready for the opening match of the national premier league with Than Quảng Ninh on March 6.

Earlier, the northern province of Thái Bình-native had to train alone under the supervision of the club’s medical staff for more than a month, following a left knee injury he suffered in mid-January.

Anh’s absence in recent HAGL friendly matches left fans worried as the talented player has suffered persistent knee injuries requiring surgery.

The midfielder said he was ready for the league season to get underway.

“Many people have talked about my injury for a long time, so I'm afraid as I don't want my relatives, friends and fans to worry, so sometimes it's unnecessary to speak out,” said Anh.

“Recently, doctor Choi Ju-young of the national team told me to go to the Vingroup-owned Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talent (PVF) Centre to help me with my recovery, but I felt that my injury was not too serious so I did not want to bother him,” Anh added.

The 25-year-old is considered one of the most technically gifted midfielders Vietnamese football has ever seen. He won the 2014 young player of the year award and made his V.League 1 debut in 2015 and was voted the team’s best player at the end of the season.

The recover of Anh is good news for the national team and coach Park Hang-seo as Việt Nam will take on Malaysia in the Asian zone’s second qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup on March 31.

Anh is an important key of HAGL, especially with fellow midfielder Lương Xuân Trường injured. He is also considered a key player of Việt Nam alongside Ha Noi's Đỗ Hùng Dũng in midfield.

The national team will convene on March 21 to prepare for a friendly match with Kyrgyzstan to be held at Gò Đậu Stadium in Bình Dương Stadium on March 26. After that, they will leave for Malaysia for the World Cup qualifier.

Việt Nam currently lead their group in the World Cup qualifiers, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE and Indonesia. VNS