Malaysian media reveals significant losses for the Vietnam national team ahead of the rematch

Malaysian media (Makanbola) reports that the Vietnam national team is dealing with considerable squad depletion prior to their encounter with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round.

According to Malaysian press, the Vietnam team is still considered to hold a certain advantage as they will play at their home ground, Thien Truong Stadium, when hosting Malaysia. The support from the home crowd is expected to provide "The Golden Star Warriors" with additional motivation for the rematch against their long-time regional rival from Southeast Asia.

Nevertheless, the task for the Vietnam national team is assessed to be far from easy. Malaysia is riding a wave of confidence following their decisive 4-0 victory over Vietnam in their most recent encounter at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10, 2025.

Notably, the country's press also mentioned the squad situation of the Vietnam national team during their preparations for the match. Makanbola wrote: "The Vietnam team's squad preparation continues to be affected as defensive pillar Bui Tien Dung is reported to have sustained an injury.

This situation makes it highly likely the 31-year-old center-back will miss the upcoming national team gathering and consequently be unavailable for the match against Malaysia."

Bui Tien Dung shared with Bongdaplus about his injury condition: "I have a knee injury. It's been a lingering issue that has now flared up. Fortunately, surgery is not required; I just need two months of rest to recover."

It is worth noting that Malaysian media indicated the Vietnam team might rely on other experienced players to fill the void if this center-back is indeed absent. Additionally, defender Doan Van Hau is also expected to play a crucial role in Coach Kim Sang-sik's lineup.

Makanbola added: "In the previous match against Malaysia, Tien Dung started but only played for 49 minutes before leaving the pitch during Vietnam's defeat."

As scheduled, the Vietnam national team will face the Malaysia national team again on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium (Ninh Binh) for the final match of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying round.