Japan's captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the World Cup squad due to an unresolved foot injury. The Liverpool midfielder, 33, has not played club football since February following foot surgery, though he featured in Japan's friendly with Iceland in late May. He did not fully recover in time for tournament action.
Endo earned 73 caps for Japan and scored 4 goals since his 2015 debut, captaining the team through previous World Cups in 2018 and 2022. He will be replaced in the squad by Borussia Monchengladbach's Shuto Machino. Endo said: "Since my injury, I've done everything I possibly could, so I have no regrets. The current team is truly wonderful. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us sights we've never seen before."
This compounds Japan's injury crisis. Brighton forward Kaoru Mitoma, 29, was ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained in the Seagulls' 3-0 win against Wolves. He missed Brighton's final two Premier League matches against Leeds United and Manchester United.
Japan faces the Netherlands (14 June), Tunisia (21 June) and Sweden (26 June) in Group F. With an experienced captain and senior midfielder sidelined, Japan's squad enters the tournament with a significantly reshaped midfield.
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