Mitoma Left Out of Japan's 26-Man World Cup Squad
Kaoru Mitoma was left out of Japan’s 26-man World Cup squad after a hamstring injury, ending his chance to go to the tournament this summer. The Brighton winger will also miss his club’s final two Premier League games, a sharp blow for Japan and for a side trying to finish its season without him.
Mitoma and Japan
Hajime Moriyasu named his squad on Friday and left out Mitoma, who has been one of Japan’s attacking options since making his debut in 2021. He has scored nine goals in 31 appearances for his country, but that record will not carry into the 48-team World Cup starting on 11 June.
Moriyasu did not hide the impact. He said Japan had lost “a major presence” in Mitoma, added, “This will hurt him more than it hurts anyone,” and said, “I hope once he gets over this, he will recover as quickly as possible and get back to playing with total freedom.”
Brighton's injury hit
Mitoma sustained the hamstring injury in Brighton’s 3-0 win against Wolves last weekend, and Fabian Hurzeler said on Thursday that the club “really have to be patient” with the winger’s recovery. Hurzeler also said “we cannot give a clear schedule” for when he will be fit again.
That leaves Brighton without him for the final two Premier League matches against Leeds United and Manchester United. For a player who had become a regular part of Japan’s setup and a key attacking outlet for Brighton, the timing strips him from both club and country at the same stretch of the season.
Japan's Group F task
Japan will open in Group F against the Netherlands on 14 June, then face Tunisia on 21 June before meeting Sweden five days later. Moriyasu still included Wataru Endo, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka and Daizen Maeda in the 26-man squad, giving Japan a new look in attack without Mitoma’s direct threat down the left.
With the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico starting on 11 June, Japan now moves forward without one of its most established wide players. Brighton, meanwhile, has to finish two league matches without him and wait for the hamstring to settle before any return date becomes realistic.
