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WORLD CUP SHOCK FOR JAPAN
The Straits Times
|December 24, 2025
Hopes hit by Minamino's serious knee injury; Neymar undergoes op in bid to play
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Japan international Takumi Minamino's participation at the 2026 World Cup is in doubt after the midfielder's club, AS Monaco, confirmed on Dec 22 that he had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.
The 30-year-old midfielder was injured during Monaco's French Cup clash against Auxerre on Dec 21 and was substituted midway through the game.
The club did not mention when Minamino was expected to return, but the typical recovery timeline of six to nine months for an ACL injury would see the former Liverpool player miss the World Cup.
Minamino has made 73 appearances for the Samurai Blue and scored 26 international goals.
He played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has been an integral member of Hajime Moriyasu's squad leading up to the next edition of the tournament.
Japan have been drawn to face the Netherlands, Tunisia and the winner of a European playoff in Group F.
This story is from the December 24, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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