All Southeast Asia, take note! Xuan Son officially returns to the field

Xuan Son officially returns to the pitch after 9 months and 6 days following his injury in the 2024 AFF Cup second leg final.

On the afternoon of October 11, Nam Dinh Club played a friendly match against PVF CAND Youth at their home stadium Thien Truong. Notably, striker Xuan Son marked his first time lacing up and playing after 9 months and 6 days. The naturalized forward for Vietnam’s national team entered the game in the second half of this friendly match.

In the end, Nam Dinh Club won 1-0 with the only goal scored by Percy Tau. Although Xuan Son did not score immediately upon his return, the fact that he can now play normally is great news for both Nam Dinh Club and the Vietnam national team in the near future.

Xuan Son is recovering much faster than initially expected. At first, coach Vu Hong Viet revealed that the naturalized forward of Vietnam’s team would have to sit out until the end of 2025 and was hoped to return in the second half of the 2025/2026 season. However, Xuan Son might come back 2 to 3 months earlier.

Previously, after the summer break combined with treatment in Brazil, Xuan Son returned to Vietnam and immediately started rehabilitation training under the direct guidance of Brazilian specialists at Nam Dinh Club. Step by step, Xuan Son returned to the pitch, recently reportedly participating in scrimmages with the team and practicing shooting more frequently.

This is considered an important preparation step as the Nam Dinh team aims to compete among the top in this V-League season and is also very encouraging news for Vietnam’s national team in upcoming matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The long period without playing, without contributing goals or assists, has affected Xuan Son’s transfer value. The Transfermarkt website recently updated his valuation to only 650,000 Euros.

Nevertheless, with his rapid recovery, fans still hope Xuan Son will soon regain his peak form and play a key role for both Nam Dinh and the Vietnam national team. In November, Vietnam will face Laos in the Asian Cup qualifiers, and Xuan Son could definitely be called up.