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1 week ago

Japan Waits on Star Forward Mitoma's Fitness For 2026 World Cup After Injury

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has an anxious wait on the fitness of star forward Kaoru Mitoma before naming a World Cup squad on Friday. Mitoma limped off with an apparent hamstring injury Saturday in the second half of Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton in the Premier League. One of Japan’s standout players at the 2022 World Cup, Mitoma scored in a 1-0 win over England in March at Wembley Stadium. His World Cup tournament is in doubt five weeks before Japan faces the Netherlands on June 14 in Arlington, Texas. "I hope it’s a minor injury. I was told by staff, ‘It doesn’t seem minor,’" Moriya...