English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United plans to play two friendly matches in Japan this summer as part of its Asian tour, Japan Football Association Vice President Junji Ogura said Thursday.
Ogura said, without elaborating, that the plan was revealed by visiting English soccer legend and Manchester United director Bobby Charlton during their meeting. Manchester United also intends to play one game in China.
Santos' replacement
Japan coach Zico said Thursday he plans to field Vissel Kobe's Atsuhiro Miura on the left side of midfield in next month's World Cup qualifier away to Iran to fill the void left by suspended Alessandro Santos.
Santos received his second booking of the Asian zone qualifiers, including first-round matches, in a 2-1 victory over North Korea in its opening final-round game in Saitama on Wednesday night and will miss the March 25 clash in Tehran.
Zico did not mention a replacement for defender Makoto Tanaka, who will also be absent from the Iran game through suspension.
Zico was speaking to reporters before heading off to his native Brazil for a short vacation.