Takumi Minamino

Joins Japan squad as support player

Minamino (knee) has joined Japan's World Cup squad in Nashville as a support player despite being unable to feature in the tournament after suffering an ACL tear in December, with coach Hajime Moriyasu welcoming him warmly upon his arrival at the base camp, according to Football Zone.

Analysis: Minamino has been unable to recover in time to make the official 26-man roster despite working relentlessly through his rehabilitation and reaching the point of being able to kick a ball again, but manager Moriyasu brought him in as a mentor figure to support the squad. The 31-year-old has been the most capped and highest-scoring player across both of Moriyasu's tenures with 70 appearances and 26 goals, and the coach expressed his hope that Minamino will bring confidence and courage to the group and remind his teammates of the hard work and team spirit he has always embodied throughout his Japan career.