National team manager Alberto Zaccheroni will be without two of his most important players when Japan attempts to book its ticket to the 2014 World Cup against Jordan next Tuesday, but the Italian still has enough quality in reserve to get the job done.
Japan can make sure of its place at a fifth consecutive finals with a win in Amman, with a draw also enough if group rivals Australia and Oman share the spoils in their match earlier the same day. Zaccheroni's side will have to do without left back Yuto Nagatomo and attacking talisman Keisuke Honda, however, with a knee injury ruling out the former and the latter described by his club, CSKA Moscow, as being "unwell."
Having deployed a variety of personnel throughout the course of the campaign, though, Zaccheroni will surely feel confident in his options.