Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will use the nearly two-month intermission in the J. League to undergo an operation for chronic gallbladder disease, a team source said Sunday.
The 35-year-old former Japan midfielder will likely be hospitalized for two to three days, the source said. Nakamura will aim to return once the J. League resumes after the World Cup.
Nakamura, who was named the J. League Player of the Year in 2013, began complaining of illness in November last year and was later diagnosed with gallbladder disease, but he has avoided surgery since his symptoms have been relatively light.