NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Japan attacker Takefusa Kubo did not train with the team Wednesday after suffering a left knee injury during their World Cup opener against the Netherlands.
Kubo was replaced in the 75th minute of Sunday's 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium and left the pitch in a wheelchair. A Japan Football Association spokesperson said he stayed with a trainer at the team's hotel and was not at their base camp near Nashville, Tennessee.
The Real Sociedad man will remain with Hajime Moriyasu's 26-man squad and continue his recovery and rehabilitation, the JFA said, without providing a timeframe for his return or other details of the injury, which was confirmed after a checkup on Monday.
"I've spoken to him. He had it checked, he's not training here today but I think he's doing what he can ahead of the game against Tunisia," Japan captain Ko Itakura said.
After grabbing a late equalizer against the Netherlands, Japan on Saturday will face a Tunisia side playing their first match under new manager Herve Renard following the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi on the back of a 5-1 thumping by Sweden.
Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who made a strong cameo off the bench in the opening game, was mindful of the different type of test awaiting the Samurai Blue in Monterrey, Mexico.
"Before the tournament started, we knew we'd have to conduct ourselves differently depending on who we are facing," the Ajax man said. "We as a team know we have to change in the next game from the last one."
"There'll be areas where we'd need a re-think on the way (Tunisia) play after they changed their manager. There are also things we'll only find out once the game starts, to be solved by the players on the pitch."
Japan will meet a familiar face in Renard, who led their Asian rivals Saudi Arabia to a shock 2-1 comeback win over eventual champions Argentina in their 2022 World Cup opener, and was in charge of the Gulf country for the second time until this April.
"For me, Japan now are the best team in Asia," the French tactician said during Tuesday's press conference near Monterrey. "I know very well the quality (of Japan), but at the moment, we need to be focused on ourselves."
