Japan have confirmed a 26-player World Cup squad that features several Europe-based names but omits Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, whose hamstring injury rules out a second tournament appearance after playing every match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Three Premier League players are selected: Wataru Endo of Liverpool, Daichi Kamada from Crystal Palace and Ao Tanaka of Leeds United, while Celtic forward Daizen Maeda is also called up, alongside Real Sociedad playmaker Takefusa Kubo and former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Mitoma, aged 28, leaves a sizeable gap after directly contributing four goal involvements in four World Cup qualifiers for Japan, scoring once and providing three assists, and also striking the winner against England in a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium during the March international window.

The Brighton winger sustained a hamstring problem during the club’s recent win over Wolves, going off shortly before the hour mark, having already dealt with an ankle injury earlier in the season, and the latest setback has ended hopes of featuring at another World Cup.

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The call-up list underlines Japan’s strong group of European-based footballers, with Endo bringing experience from Liverpool’s midfield, Kamada and Tanaka adding further Premier League representation, while Maeda, Kubo and Tomiyasu provide options across the forward line, creative areas and defence for manager Hajime Moriyasu.

Moriyasu underlined Mitoma’s importance to the national team when reacting to the injury news, stating: “[Japan have lost] a major presence, said manager Hajime Moriyasu on Mitoma’s injury. This will hurt him more than it hurts anyone. I hope once he gets over this, he will recover as quickly as possible and get back to playing with total freedom.”

Japan World Cup squad aims and historical record

Japan’s squad now heads into the tournament aiming to progress beyond the round of 16 for the first time, as the national team has never gone further and currently holds the record for most World Cup matches, 25 in total, without reaching the quarter-finals.

Mitoma’s absence removes a proven tournament performer who featured in all four matches during Japan’s 2022 campaign, which ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the last 16, leaving Moriyasu’s latest group seeking to match or better that stage without one of the main attacking threats.