Japan international Atsushi Yanagisawa's chances of playing at this summer's World Cup were left hanging in the balance Sunday after tests revealed the Kashima Antlers striker has fractured a bone in his right foot.
Yanagisawa sustained the injury in Kashima's 1-0 win away to JEF United Chiba on Saturday night and was told by doctors Sunday he will need two months to fully recover after undergoing tests at a Saitama hospital.
"It's touch and go whether he will be okay for the World Cup," said Kashima team doctor Jun Seki. "However, it's a traumatic bone fracture and that usually takes less time to recover from than a stress fracture."
Yanagisawa said, "I am hopeful. I want to play at the World Cup and will do my best" to get fit in time.
The 28-year-old picked up the injury just a month after returning to Kashima on loan until the end of June from Messina, for whom he had not scored a single league goal since joining the Italian first-division club in the summer of 2004.
Yanagisawa had been called up to the Japan squad that plays Ecuador in Oita on Thursday in a warm-up match for the World Cup finals kicking off in Germany on June 9.
The Japan Football Association said it would not be calling up a replacement for Yanagisawa for Thursday's match and wished him a speedy recovery.
"There is still a possibility that (Yanagisawa) will be fit in time for the World Cup and we hope he makes a speedy recovery," said JFA technical director Kozo Tashima said.