Injury-plagued yokozuna Kisenosato, who has failed to start or complete nine of the last 10 tournaments, will sit out the start of the winter regional tour which kicks off this weekend, his stablemaster Tagonoura said Wednesday.

According to Tagonoura, Kisenosato, the first Japan-born wrestler in 19 years to be promoted to the rank of yokozuna, could rejoin his fellow wrestlers for the last three days of the tour, which runs Dec. 2-22, when it moves into the Kanto region.

"Considering his condition, the first half doesn't seem realistic. I can't say for sure when (he will return)," Tagonoura said.