Jubilo Iwata and Japan midfielder Hiroshi Nanami has suffered a semilunar cartilage injury in his right knee and will sit out for four weeks, the J. League club said Wednesday.
The injury will force Nanami to skip two upcoming major tournaments -- the Asian Club Championship final round (May 24-26 in South Korea) with Jubilo and the Confederations Cup (May 30-June 10 in South Korea and Japan) with Japan.
Nanami had an endoscope check and immediately underwent surgery at a hospital in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, to remove the damaged part of the semilunar cartilage in his knee. The 28-year-old Jubilo player has already started rehabilitation at his club in an attempt to make a quick comeback.
The injury is the first major one for Nanami and is believed to be a result of fatigue due to his club and national team commitments.