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Injured Mitoma Fails to Make Japan's World Cup Squad
Hajime Moriyasu said the medical team ruled Mitoma unlikely to regain full fitness before the tournament, and Japan kept 26 players.
- On Friday, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu named his 26-man World Cup squad in Tokyo, excluding injured winger Kaoru Mitoma. Medical staff determined the 28-year-old would not recover from a hamstring injury in time for the tournament.
- Mitoma suffered the hamstring injury during Brighton's 3-0 Premier League win over Wolves last weekend. The medical team assessed that it would be "difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament," Moriyasu said.
- While Monaco forward Takumi Minamino missed out after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December, Ajax defender Takehiro Tomiyasu made the squad despite not playing for the Samurai Blue since June 2024. Veterans Wataru Endo and Yuto Nagatomo were also included.
- Moriyasu became teary-eyed discussing the omissions before 300 reporters in Tokyo but insisted the team has sufficient strength in depth to cope. He expressed hope that Mitoma will "recover as quickly as possible and get back to playing with total freedom."
- Japan begins its campaign against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas, on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia and Sweden. The team will host a final pre-tournament friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31.
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Oskaloosa Herald+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Premier League winger Mitoma out of World Cup for Japan as 26-player squad named
Injured Premier League winger Kaoru Mitoma was left out of Japan’s World Cup squad when coach Hajime Moriyasu named his 26 players for the tournament starting next month in North America. Captain and Liverpool defensive midfielder Wataru Endo and veteran…
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Total News Sources18
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center
L 40%
C 47%
13%
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