SPORTS> Team News
Japan in right trouble as wingers join injury list
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-06-06 14:14
TOKYO - Brazilian-born left winger Alessandro "Alex" Santos has joined fellow right winger, Akira Kaji, on Japan's injury list ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia on June 12.

"I might have sprained my left ankle lightly," 28-year-old Santos told Japanese reporters after the team's lacklustre 1-0 win over minnows Malta in Dusseldorf on Sunday, in Japan's final warm-up match.

"I've got the foot iced up at the moment but I should be okay for the Australia game and will see what the situation is tomorrow" he said, according to Kyodo News.

Santos, who set up Keiji Tamada's winning goal against Malta, limped off to be substituted by Basel utility player Koji Nakata in the 59th minute.

Meanwhile Kaji, 26, remained a fitness doubt after his right ankle was badly bruised by Bastian Schweinsteiger's tackle from behind in Japan's 2-2 draw against Germany last week.

"He is still in a lot of pain," Japan coach Zico said, according to Japanese news reports. "Kaji has twisted his ankle harder and it is really difficult to say when he will back in action. It may take some time."

Kaji himself told reporters, "I'm getting better but I am not sure about the opening match."

Japan will also play Croatia and five-time champions Brazil in Group F.

Zico, who aims to guide Japan into the World Cup knockout stages and hopefully semi-finals, said that he left his first-choice strikers, Naohiro Takahara and Atsushi Yanagisawa, out of the Malta game because they were "not 100 percent" fit due to muscle pains.

Takahara scored twice in the draw against Germany.

"Yanagisawa has recently come back from a broken metatarsal and his muscles are a bit tender and Takahara tweaked his knee so we kept him out to be on the safe side," Zico said.