Alkass Digital
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu has included Kaoru Mitoma in his squad for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ despite injury concerns surrounding the Brighton & Hove Albion winger.
Mitoma was included in a 26-man squad that also features Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu, Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad playmaker Takefusa Kubo but missing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stars Ao Tanaka and Daichi Kamada.
"I don't know if (Mitoma) will be ready for the first match, but he is recovering well, and I expect him to be available at an early stage," Moriyasu said as he announced his squad.
Mitoma sustained an ankle injury in his club side’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League in late December and Brighton manager Roberto di Zerbi had cast doubt on the former Kawasaki Frontale wide man’s ability to feature at the continental championship.
While he is unlikely to feature in Japan’s opener against former coach Philippe Troussier and Vietnam on January 14, the 26-year-old could be available for the second Group D game against Iraq five days later. Japan have also been drawn to face Indonesia.
Tanaka, who netted Japan’s winner against Spain at last year’s FIFA World Cup, has not been included in the squad despite opening the scoring for Japan in a 5-0 win over Thailand at National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday while Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi has also been left out.
The Samurai Blue will travel to the Finals among the favourites with the team aiming to capture a record-extending fifth title for Japan after wins in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011.
Moriyasu led Japan to the final in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 only to see his side lose to Qatar in the decider in Abu Dhabi.
Japan squad
Goalkeepers: Daiya Maekawa (Vissel Kobe), Zion Suzuki (Sint-Truiden), Taishi Brandon Nozawa (FC Tokyo)
Defenders: Shogo Taniguchi (Al Rayyan), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Gent), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), Koki Machida (Union SG), Seiya Maikuma (Cerezo Osaka), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Yukinari Sugawara (AZ Alkmaar)
Midfielders/Forwards: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito (Reims), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Reo Hatate (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Kaishu Sano (Kashima Antlers), Mao Hosoya (Kashiwa Reysol)