"Their October squad sees a few absentees, with one Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka both not included. Mitoma picked up a knock for Brighton against Chelsea, and it's clearly enough to keep him out of the Japan squad. Tanaka suffered an MCL injury before the September International window and has played just 10 minutes in Leeds' last two Premier League games, and manager Hajime Moriyasu is clearly not taking any risks."
"There are familiar faces littered through the squad however, with Liverpool's Wataru Endo expected to captain the side in these two friendlies. Takumi Minamino adds another Merseyside connection, and his impressive start to the season for Monaco earns him a call up. Queens Park Rangers' Koki Saito is also in the squad, and it represents his first call-up. He joined the West London outfit permanently after a successful loan spell last season."
Japan will play friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay in October to gain experience before the 2026 World Cup. Japan qualified with only one defeat, which came after qualification. The October squad contains absentees Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka; Mitoma missed out after picking up a knock for Brighton against Chelsea, and Tanaka remains limited after an MCL injury and minimal minutes for Leeds, prompting manager Hajime Moriyasu to avoid risks. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo is expected to captain the side. Takumi Minamino returns after a strong start for Monaco. Queens Park Rangers' Koki Saito earns his first senior call-up.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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