Kaoru Mitoma suffered an ankle injury in the match against Crystal Palace in the 18th round of the Premier League on December 22. The player limped off the field with a painful expression. Later, Mitoma confirmed his condition. He shared: "I will be out for a while, but I will come back stronger."
Kaoru Mitoma did not recover from injury in time to participate in the 2023 Asian Cup (Photo: Getty).
Speaking at a press conference before the match against Tottenham, Brighton coach De Zebri confirmed his player's condition. Accordingly, Japan's number one star will have to sit out for 4-6 weeks to recover from his injury.
When asked if Mitoma could participate in the 2023 Asian Cup, coach De Zebri said: "I'm not sure but probably not."
Mitoma's absence is a big loss for the Japanese team. The player born in 1997 has played outstandingly for Brighton this season and has created a big impact. Mitoma's strengths are his dribbling ability and good technique.
Mitoma has been a key member of the Japanese national team over the years. He enjoyed a successful 2022 World Cup, reaching the round of 16 with the national team (losing to Croatia in a penalty shootout).
Takefusa Kubo is not sure if he will recover from his injury to participate in Asia's number one tournament (Photo: JT).
Not only Mitoma, the Japanese team may also be missing many other stars in the 2023 Asian Cup. Recently, Takefusa Kubo was injured in the match between Real Sociedad and Cadiz. This player is suspected of having a broken rib and is unlikely to recover in time to participate in the 2023 Asian Cup.
Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is also racing against time to be in the squad for the Asian Cup. He picked up an injury in early December against Wolves and has yet to recover.
In the 2023 Asian Cup, Japan is in Group D with Vietnam, Iraq and Indonesia. They will be the opponents of Vietnam in the opening match on January 14.
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