V-League SLNA FC midfielder Phan Van Duc will need 4 months to fully recover, according to his coach Nguyen Duc Thang.
Van Duc underwent knee ligament surgery in July in Singapore. Doctor Tan Jim Lee of Parkway hospital also performed a surgery for another Vietnamese national footballer centerbacker Dinh Trong. Trong and the 23-year-old Duc are rehabilitating together at the PVF Football Center in Hung Yen.
Van Duc’s absence during the World Cup qualifying games will be a huge loss for team Vietnam as he has been a key player in Coach Park Hang-seo’s strategy.
Van Duc played only once in a SLNA shirt this season. He sat out almost every important tournament match his club and national team played.