Shock omissions are on the cards when Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu announces his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 1, with some established names in Europe likely to miss out.
The most notable absentee from Japan's two September friendlies was Reo Hatate. The Celtic midfielder was called up for the games against the United States and Ecuador but never left the bench despite his promising performances this season in the Scottish Premiership and Champions League.
Gaku Shibasaki, who pulled the strings for Japan at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has struggled to make an impact under Moriyasu. The Leganes player wore the captain's armband against Ecuador but also faces an anxious wait to see if he will be called on in central midfield -- an area already well covered.
Shibasaki has experience on his side, however, as does Genki Haraguchi. The Union Berlin man has played sparingly for the German Bundesliga leaders this term, but has been called up regularly by Moriyasu.
The final lineup is harder to predict up front, where the manager has used no regular starter since March following an injury to Vissel Kobe forward Yuya Osako.
Takuma Asano of Bochum and Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic have been unconvincing when given chances, especially Furuhashi, who has failed to net for the Samurai Blue since June 2021, despite his prolific scoring record in Scotland.
While Osako is back firing for Vissel Kobe in the J-League, Furuhashi, his Celtic teammate Daizen Maeda and Ayase Ueda of Cercle Brugge all failed to show their scoring touch in the September friendlies. Asano, who Moriyasu knows well from their time at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, is dealing with a knee injury and is facing a race against time to make the World Cup.
It is anyone's guess even at this stage who will miss out on the plane to Qatar, let alone who will start Japan's Nov. 23 Group E opener against Germany.
One attacker struggling for form is Takumi Minamino, who has lacked spark since joining Monaco from Liverpool over the summer and was average against Ecuador.
Although Moriyasu is unlikely to overlook a player who has contributed throughout his tenure, Minamino's starting berth is under serious threat from on-form Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma.
Moriyasu has said the selection is "pretty much" done, although the unprecedented timing of the tournament means all teams could face further injury troubles. This is a special concern for those in Europe with league fixtures scheduled until a week before the Nov. 20 opener in Qatar.
Mitoma was the latest to scare Moriyasu after hurting his right ankle while playing for Brighton on Oct. 14, although the winger is expected to be fit in time for the World Cup.
In a largely stable backline, Ko Itakura's availability following injury has been Moriyasu's main concern. The manager said the Borussia Monchengladbach defender, like Asano, could be picked if he is expected to be fit in time for Qatar -- even if he can't return to club action.
In goal, Daniel Schmidt left a big impression with a penalty save and a strong overall performance against Ecuador, a boost that might see him pip Shuichi Gonda for the starting job.
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