Nagoya Grampus defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka will miss Japan's upcoming World Cup warm-up against Serbia through suspension, Japan Football Association technical director Hiromi Hara said Tuesday.
Tulio will serve out the one-match ban for the April 7 friendly in Osaka, the last match before coach Takeshi Okada decides on his final squad for South Africa, after being sent off in a 3-1 defeat to South Korea at the East Asian championship in Tokyo in February.
Although April 7 is not a day set aside for internationals on the FIFA calendar, Okada is set to ask for the release of Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto and Grenoble midfielder Daisuke Matsui.