Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik has named Nguyễn Xuân Son, the 2024 ASEAN Championship MVP, in his squad for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Laos on Tuesday, marking the striker’s first national team call-up since breaking his leg in January.
Xuân Son scored seven times in five games to finish as the leading scorer in the most recent edition of the ASEAN Championship but has not featured in an official match since sustaining the injury during the second leg of the tournament final in Thailand.
He has been undergoing a structured rehabilitation programme to rebuild his fitness, strength and mobility before returning to full training with his club side, Nam Định FC.
His selection for the Laos match reflects the progress Xuân Son has made, completing all medical assessments and meeting the required training benchmarks before the national team staff confirmed he was available to rejoin the squad.
During Vietnam’s title-winning campaign at the last ASEAN Championship, now known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup™ 2026, the Brazil-born Xuân Son emerged as one of the standout players in Southeast Asia, months after gaining Vietnamese citizenship.
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