TOKYO:
Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was handed a World Cup lifeline on Thursday after being called up by Japan for the first time in almost two years for friendlies against Scotland and England.
The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries and agreed to leave Arsenal in July last year with 12 months left on his contract in order to focus on his rehabilitation.
He signed for Ajax in December and returned to action in January for the first time since October 2024.
Japan play Scotland in Glasgow on March 28 before taking on England at Wembley three days later, and coach Hajime Moriyasu has called up both Tomiyasu and fellow injury returnee Hiroki Ito of Bayern Munich.
“If you think of the potential of both players, if they are in good condition then of course it would a good thing if they were playing for Japan at the World Cup,” said Moriyasu.
“I expect their condition to improve further between now and the World Cup.”
“It has been a while since they were last called up so I want them to refamiliarise themselves with the concept of the team during these games,” he added.
Japan have been drawn in Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia and a European qualifier at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Tomiyasu has 42 caps for Japan and played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He joined Arsenal from Bologna in August 2021 and made 84 appearances in all competitions during his time in London.
“Tomiyasu hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes (for Ajax) yet but I’ve seen that he is capable of playing,” said Moriyasu.
His squad has been weakened by injuries, with Monaco’s Takumi Minamino and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo missing for the March friendlies.
Wolfsburg forward Kento Shiogai was handed his first call-up and Moriyasu said the World Cup door was still open.
“We are getting close to the World Cup and some might say that the time for trying things is over and we should be finalising our team,” he said.
“But in order to win the World Cup, I think we should be calling up players who have the potential to make us as good as we can be.”
Japan stunned Germany and Spain in Qatar before losing on penalties to Croatia in the last 16.
