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 with 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 about whether 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 for many years, having enjoyed a successful 2022 World Cup campaign as he helped the national team reach the round of 16 (losing to Croatia in a penalty shootout).
Takefusa Kubo is not sure to recover from 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 time for the Asian Cup. He was injured in early December in a match against Wolves and has not yet recovered.
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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