Japan will be without the driving force of CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda and Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo for the crucial upcoming World Cup qualifier away to Jordan, Japan Football Association technical director Hiromi Hara said Thursday.
Fitness issues have robbed Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni of two of his most important players and forced him to leave them out of the 23-man squad he named alongside Hara for the March 26 Group B clash in Amman.
Nagatomo is recovering from a knee injury he sustained in late February in a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan. CSKA has said Honda has been "unwell" and is focusing on a "rehabilitation program," reportedly to treat injuries to his knee and ankle.