FRANCE 24
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said last week that Mitoma would be out for up to six weeks after hurting his ankle in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on December 21.
But Moriyasu still included the player in his 26-man squad for the Asian Cup in Qatar, which kicks off on January 12.
“Given his current injury situation, I don’t know if he will be ready to play in the first game or not,” Moriyasu said of the 26-year-old.
“But I have been told by the national team medical staff and his club medical staff that I will be able to use him early in the tournament when he comes back from injury.”
Japan warmed up for the Asian Cup with a 5-0 friendly win over Thailand in Tokyo in front of a New Year’s Day crowd of over 60,000.
They have won the Asian Cup a record four times but they lost 3-1 to Qatar in the final of the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
Moriyasu said his “fundamental approach hasn’t changed” over the past five years but he is determined to lift the trophy this time.
