Burgeoning Arsenal talent Ryo Miyaichi made the cut Thursday as Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni named a 25-man squad for three upcoming final-round World Cup qualifiers against Oman, Jordan and Australia.
The 19-year-old Miyaichi, one of three players to win their first caps in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Azerbaijan in Shizuoka, got the nod but there was no place for the more experienced Jungo Fujimoto, who was unavailable for selection for Wednesday's game due to club commitments with Nagoya Grampus.
"I tried not to pick players that have exactly the same strengths in this squad but I didn't pick Miyaichi directly as a replacement for Fujimoto," said Zaccheroni.