Ajax's Tomiyasu gets first Japan call-up since 2024, former NEC ace Shiogai debuts

[p]The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries and agreed to leave [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] in July last year with 12 months left on his contract in order to focus on his rehabilitation.[/p][p]He signed for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ajax/8UOvIwnb/"]Ajax[/a] in December and returned to action in January for the first time since October 2024.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/scotland/fZRU25WH/"]Scotland[/a] in Glasgow on March 28 before taking on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] at Wembley three days later, and coach Hajime Moriyasu has called up both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tomiyasu-takehiro/OSNvjZSP/"]Tomiyasu[/a] and fellow injury returnee [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ito-hiroki/4ULsVw9c/"]Hiroki Ito[/a] of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a].[/p][p][b]"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," [/b]said Moriyasu.[/p][p][b]"I expect their condition to improve further between now and the World Cup."[/b][/p][embed guid="ff74f2f0-fd42-4ab6-97d4-6aaf75fa0eab" url="https://x.com/SamuraiWarriorz/status/2032922784066597087?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"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," [/b]he added.[/p][p]Japan have been drawn in Group F with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]the Netherlands[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] and a European qualifier at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.[/p][p]Tomiyasu has 42 caps for Japan and played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.[/p][p]He joined Arsenal from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bologna/0M9xNN8N/"]Bologna[/a] in August 2021 and made 84 appearances in all competitions during his time in London.[/p][p][b]"Tomiyasu hasn't completed a full 90 minutes (for Ajax) yet but I've seen that he is capable of playing," [/b]said Moriyasu.[/p][p]His squad has been weakened by injuries, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/monaco/2PIvr8o4/"]Monaco[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/minamino-takumi/hIwtloy3/"]Takumi Minamino[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-sociedad/jNvak2f3/"]Real Sociedad[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kubo-takefusa/fqdLdpc3/"]Takefusa Kubo[/a] missing for the March friendlies.[/p][h2]Kentio Shiogai debuts[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolfsburg/nwkTahLL/"]Wolfsburg[/a] forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shiogai-kento/t0LZyS5n/"]Kento Shiogai[/a] was handed his first call-up and Moriyasu said the World Cup door was still open.[/p][p][b]"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," [/b]he said.[/p][p][b]"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."[/b][/p][p]Japan stunned Germany and Spain in Qatar before losing on penalties to Croatia in the last 16.[/p][embed guid="9e3e8fe7-779d-49ba-818e-3a919eca75e7" url="https://x.com/jfa_samuraiblue/status/2034507523739598885?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]