Kubo’s Availability for Japan’s Next World Cup Match Uncertain

Nashville, Tennessee, June 17 (Jiji Press)–It remains uncertain whether injured Japanese men’s national soccer team member Takefusa Kubo can play in the Asian country’s next match, against Tunisia, in the ongoing FIFA World Cup. The Japan Football Association said Wednesday that Kubo, 25, was diagnosed with a left knee injury in a magnetic resonance imaging scan conducted at a hospital Monday. Details, such as how long it would take for the injury to heal, have not been disclosed. The Japanese national team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, faced the Netherlands on Sunday, the first match for both teams in the group stage of the World Cup. Kubo was a starter but was substituted in the 30th minute of the second half after colliding with an opposing player. He did not join the team at practice in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday and instead recuperated at the team dormitory. The Group F match between Japan and the Netherlands, played at a stadium near Dallas, ended in a 2-2 draw, with each team getting 1 point. Samurai Blue is set to face Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday in their second group-stage match. The ongoing competition is cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first time in its history that the World Cup has been jointly hosted by as many as three countries. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]