Japan international midfielder Shinji Ono will have surgery Monday to implant a metal plate in his broken right foot, his doctor said Sunday.
Japan's Ryota Aoki jumps for the ball against South Africa on Sunday during the Toulon
Under-21 soccer tournament in Lorgues, France. South Africa won the match 1-0.
Ono is expected to require two to three months to recover from the injury and regain full match fitness, leaving him doubtful for Japan's World Cup qualifier at home to Iran on Aug. 17.
Ono broke his right foot during a practice session in Manama last Wednesday prior to Japan's clash away to Bahrain in an Asian zone qualifier for next year's World Cup finals in Germany.
Japan won the match 1-0 and came within a point of securing a place in the World Cup finals with two games left. Their next match is against North Korea in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Inamoto to start
BANGKOK (Kyodo) West Bromwich Albion midfielder Junichi Inamoto is set to make his first start this year in Japan's World Cup qualifier against North Korea in steamy Bangkok on Wednesday.
Inamoto, who last started in Japan's loss to Germany in December, has been given the chance to put himself back in the reckoning for a first-team place as Serie A duo Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura are both suspended.
Coach Zico will revert to a 3-5-2 for Japan's Group B qualifier behind closed doors at the National Stadium, with Marseille midfielder Koji Nakata and striker Takayuki Suzuki also set to return to the lineup.