Brighton's Mitoma Ruled Out of Japan's World Cup Roster Due to Injury

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Injured Kaoru Mitoma was left out of Japan’s World Cup squad on Friday in a major blow to their chances of progressing beyond the last 16 for the first time.

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The 28-year-old winger suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League last weekend.

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“The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” coach Hajime Moriyasu said in naming his squad in Tokyo.

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Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also missed out after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in late December.

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Japan have been drawn with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F and they start their campaign against the Dutch in Arlington, Texas on June 14.

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Mitoma is one of Japan’s best players and scored the winner in their 1-0 friendly victory over England at Wembley in March.

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He also played a key role in his country’s shock wins over Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Japan eventually lost on penalties to Croatia in the last 16.

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Ajax’s Takehiro Tomiyasu made the 26-man squad despite not having played for Japan since June 2024 because of injuries.

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Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo were all included.

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Wolfsburg’s Kento Shiogai, who won his first cap in Japan’s 1-0 win over Scotland in Glasgow in March, also made the cut.

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Squad

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Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki (Parma/ITA), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers)

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Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden/BEL), Ko Itakura (Ajax/NED), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord/NED), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax/NED), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich/GER), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre/FRA), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen/GER), Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen/DEN)

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Midfielders/forwards: Wataru Endo (Liverpool/ENG), Junya Ito (Genk/BEL), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace/GER), Koki Ogawa (NEC/NED), Daizen Maeda (Celtic/SCO), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord/NED), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United/ENG), Keito Nakamura (Reims/FRA), Kaishu Sano (Mainz/GER), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad/ESP), Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg/GER), Kento Shiogai (Wolfsburg/GER), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden/BEL)

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AFP

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