Wataru Endo withdrew from the Japanese team participating in the World Cup, confirming his retirement
Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan's World Cup squad due to an ankle injury and announced his decision to retire from international football.
Japan captain Wataru Endo has officially withdrawn from the World Cup squad after failing to recover from an ankle injury. The midfielder playing for Liverpool confirmed that he will miss this tournament, and announced his decision to retire from international football just three days before coach Hajime Moriyasu's team has a match against the Netherlands.
"Since my injury, I have done everything I can up to this point, so I have nothing to regret," Endo, who has 73 caps for Japan, wrote on social media. "I'm proud of our development since the Qatar World Cup. The current squad is truly a great team and I believe they will overcome all difficulties and show us things we have never seen before. I will retire from the national team and from now on, I will cheer for Japan as a fan. The moment when the Japanese team wins the World Cup will definitely come one day."
Endo suffered a ligament injury in February in a Premier League match against Sunderland and only returned to the bench for Liverpool's final game of last season against Brentford last month. Coach Moriyasu had hoped that the 33-year-old's injury could be managed in the opening matches of the tournament, but the injury did not improve enough in the team's first two weeks of training camp.
The Japan Football Association (JFA) announced on Thursday that Endo will be replaced by Borussia Monchengladbach striker Shuto Machino, while Ajax's Ko Itakura will become captain. Endo's absence is a big loss for the Japanese team, as they were without talented winger Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton & Hove Albion due to injury, and Takumi Minamino of Monaco was also not selected due to not recovering in time from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Although Japan has strength in the wide positions, helping to minimize losses due to Mitoma's injury, the midfield is an area where coach Moriyasu cannot endure more injuries. His team lacks a direct replacement for their captain, with Endo's ability to compete and cover space allowing Japan's strikers to apply high pressure without the ball.
The initially surprising decision in Japan's squad selection was not calling up Hidemasa Morita, Endo's playing partner, who could emulate his playing style. However, even after Endo suffered an injury, Moriyasu still did not call up the Sporting CP player, instead choosing a fifth striker in Machino. It is expected that defenders such as Ikatura could take on the midfield role, while Endo's absence also increases the likelihood that Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka will be featured. Japan were one of the biggest surprises of the previous World Cup as they topped the 'Group of Death' with wins over Germany and Spain, before being eliminated on penalties by Croatia in the round of 16. They will begin their campaign against the Netherlands in Dallas on Sunday in one of the highlight matches of the group stage.
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