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Japan have suffered a major setback to their FIFA World Cup hopes, with their captain Wataru Endo not only ruled out due to injury, but also retiring from international football.
Just three days before their opening clash against the Netherlands, the Japanese team director Masakuni Yamamoto confirmed that Endo, who led his team to the World Cup, is yet to recover from a foot injury that required surgery in February. The 33-year-old midfielder, playing for English football giants Liverpool, said that the coach Hajime Moriyasu had told him he would be fit in time for the tournament. Endo has made 73 appearances for Japan, and his first game since February was the friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31, during which he featured in the first half. He was also training separately from the rest of the Japan squad, situated at their Nashville base and had made a partial return to full training on Wednesday. Speaking in a statement as quoted by FIFA's official website, Endo said, "From the moment I got injured up until now, I have done everything I possibly could, so I have no regrets. Of course, there is frustration at not being able to play in this World Cup, but more than that, I am proud that since the Qatar World Cup, I have led this team as captain and that we have grown together into a group that can speak of 'winning the World Cup' as a matter of course. "The team we have now is a truly outstanding one. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us a view we have never seen before." Borussia Monchengladbach forward Shuto Machino has been roped in as a replacement, while centre-back Ko Itakura has the captaincy armband now. Japan are a part of Group F and will start their campaign on June 14. Japan's best finishes have been their three round of 16 finishes, having achieved one in the previous edition in Qatar back in 2022. (ANI)
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