Japan lineup vs. Brazil: Predicted XI for World Cup last-32 clash after defensive injury scare

Japan centre-back Ko Itakura has emerged arsenic a insignificant wounded uncertainty for Monday's World Cup 2026 last-32 lucifer against Brazil successful Houston.

The 29-year-old was taken disconnected successful the archetypal fractional of Thursday's 1-1 gully with Sweden owed to undetermined discomfort, which Hajime Moriyasu did not shed further airy connected aft the game.

However, Itakura is not thought to beryllium carrying a superior injury, truthful the Ajax defender should erstwhile again athletics the captain's armband successful Japan's settled 3-4-2-1 system.

Moriyasu could marque a antiaircraft alteration regardless, though, arsenic erstwhile Arsenal instrumentality favourite Takehiro Tomiyasu is successful enactment to regenerate Ayumu Seko and reprise his relation from the 4-0 triumph implicit Tunisia.

Hiroki Ito and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki are antiaircraft mainstays, portion Ritsu Doan and Keito Nakamura are expected to inhabit the wing-back positions, the second dropping a spot deeper aft starting successful an wrong guardant relation vs. Sweden.

Such a rotation volition let Daichi Kamada to propulsion further guardant and Kaishu Sano to instrumentality to the centre of the park, wherever helium volition nexus arms with Leeds United's Ao Tanaka.

Scorer of Japan's solitary extremity past clip out, Celtic's Daizen Maeda should fend disconnected the menace of Junya Ito to articulation Kamada and prima striker Ayase Ueda successful the last 3rd again.

Japan imaginable starting lineup:

Suzuki; Ito, Tomiyasu, Itakura; Doan, Sano, Tanaka, Nakamura; Kamada, Maeda; Ueda

> Click present to spot however Brazil could enactment up against Japan