Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma was named in Japan’s squad for this month’s Asian Cup on Monday, despite being ruled out for up to six weeks with an ankle injury.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi said last week that the 26-year-old would need a spell on the sidelines after hurting his ankle in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on December 21.
But Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu still included the player in his 26-man squad for the Asian Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on January 12.
Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu were also selected, along with Real Sociedad attacking midfielder Takefusa Kubo.
Lazio’s Daichi Kamada was left out as Japan look to win the Asian Cup for a record fifth time.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate made the cut but club-mate Kyogo Furuhashi was not selected.
Japan have been drawn in Group D and will face Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam in the first round.
They lost 3-1 to Qatar in the final of the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
They beat Australia 1-0 in the final the last time the tournament was held in Qatar, in 2011.
Japan squad:
Goalkeepers: Daiya Maekawa (Vissel Kobe), Zion Suzuki (Sint-Truiden/BEL), Taishi Brandon Nozawa (FC Tokyo)
Defenders: Shogo Taniguchi (Al-Rayyan/QAT), Kou Itakura (Monchengladbach/GER), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Gent/BEL), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield/ENG), Koki Machida (Union SG/BEL), Seiya Maikuma (Cerezo Osaka), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal/ENG), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart/GER), Yukinari Sugawara (AZ/NED)
Midfielders/ Forwards: Wataru Endo (Liverpool/ENG), Junya Ito (Reims/FRA), Takuma Asano (Bochum/GER), Takumi Minamino (Monaco/FRA), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting/POR), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton/ENG), Daizen Maeda (Celtic/SCO), Reo Hatate (Celtic/SCO), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg/GER), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord/NED), Keito Nakamura (Reims/FRA), Kaishu Sano (Kashima Antlers), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad/ESP), Mao Hosoya (Kashiwa Reysol)
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