(SabaSports) According to Han Bing, a reporter of Football, Japanese national team coach Mori Boichi will announce his squad for the 18-strong tournament in September on August 29. Japanese media have speculated that Moribo is unlikely to make major changes to his squad, with most of the players from the March and June internationals expected to remain in the squad barring injury.
On the roster, Kaoru Mitoma’s return is a virtual certainty, while Junya Ito and Keisuke Suzuki are also expected to return to the national team. Suzuki joined Serie A side Parma in the summer transfer window and is expected to return to the national team if nothing happens. At most one of the three home-grown goalkeepers in the June squad is likely to be retained, while the other two mixed goalkeepers, Daiju Nozawa and Leo Kokubo, will compete for the remaining spots.
Of particular interest is Kokubo, who moved to St Tryden from Benfica B this summer, having excelled at the Under-23 Asian Cup and Paris Olympics. However, it is worth mentioning that he conceded three goals on his debut at St Trydden and whether this will affect his inclusion in the September squad is still unknown.