Midfielder Trần Phi Sơn of HCM City (left) will face his former team Sông Lam Nghệ An in the V.League 1 on Tuesday. Photo kinttedothi.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI  Midfielder Trần Phi Sơn will make his first return to his former club Sông Lam Nghệ An’s Vinh Stadium on Tuesday since his leaving the side more than two years ago.

Sơn, now a key part of the HCM City FC team, is keen to show his old club what they're missing.

“I miss the Vinh Stadium very much. I have not played here for a long time since I left in early 2018,” said Sơn.

“I played against Sông Lam Nghệ An for 25 minutes in a match that I was substituted because of injury last year. I am excited to meet my former teammates.

“I hope I will have a chance to play this match and will do my best to help HCM City bring a home positive result,” said the former national team member.

Sơn was benched for HCM City’s 3-0 win over Viettel last week.

Coach Chung Hea-seong said he kept his captain on the bench to make sure that he would regain his confidence and balance after two quiet matches.

The South Korean said Sơn was under heavy pressure so he needed him to be comfortable before returning to action.

Prior to the match, HCM City enjoyed a piece of good news with the announcement they will have striker Nguyễn Công Phượng on their books until the end of the season.

Hoàng Anh Gia Lai FC owner Đoàn Nguyễn Đức agreed to let the forward stay with HCM City for the next six months on loan, extending a deal that was set to expire soon. The contract was announced on Saturday.

Phượng’s salary of VNĐ120 million (US$5,200) per month is a record among local players.

The 25-year-old player has scored four goals for the team in all competitions this season and netted one and assisted another in HCM City’s 3-0 win last week.

At the signing ceremony, Phượng said he wants to bag more goals to help HCM City fly high and secure his place in the national team for big upcoming matches.

However, Sông Lam Nghệ An are something of a bogey team for Phượng, as he hasn't won in three matches against them.

The match will be a test for the 2019 V.League 1’s runner-up as Sông Lam Nghệ An are still unbeaten in the league and top the table. They also have the best defence and have yet to concede a goal.

Last week, they made a big bang when beating defending champions Hà Nội FC 1-0 away to push HCM City out of the top spot to third.

Their match on Tuesday will be live on VTC3 channel from 5pm, while two other matches will be played the same day, with Nam Định hosting Hải Phòng at the Thiên Trường Stadium and Viettel entertaining Thanh Hóa at Hàng Đẫy.

Four other matches will be on Wednesday. VNS