Zaccheroni names Kagawa-less Japan squad

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni has dropped injured Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa from a 23-man squad he announced for their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifier in Oman on 14 November. The Italian has called up 13 other Europe-based stars, including such regulars as CSKA Moscow playmaker Keisuke Honda, Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo and Stuttgart forward Shinji Okazaki. Kagawa, 23, who moved from Borussia Dortmund last summer, injured his left knee in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Braga in the UEFA Champions League on 23 October. Okazaki is coming back to international duty after a foot injury forced him out of Japan's European tour last month, in which they beat France 1-0 but bowed 4-0 to Brazil. Zaccheroni also called up Takashi Usami, on loan to Hoffenheim from Bayern Munich, for the first time since June last year. But Wigan Athletic striker Ryo Miyaichi, who played the final few minutes against Brazil, failed to make the squad. In Asian Zone qualifying, Japan are leading Group B with ten points from three wins over Oman, Jordan and Iraq and a draw with Australia. Japan squad Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege/BEL), Shusaku Nishikawa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo) Defenders: Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka) Yuzo Kurihara (Yokohama Marinos), Masahiko Inoha (Vissel Kobe), Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan/ITA), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke/GER), Maya Yoshida (Southampton/ENG), Hiroki Sakai (Hannover/GER) Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg/GER), Hajime Hosogai (Bayer Leverkusen/BER), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Hideto Takahashi (FC Tokyo) Forwards: Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart/GER), Mike Havenaar (Vitesse Arnhem/NED), Takashi Inui (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Nuremberg/GER), Takashi Usami (Hoffenheim/GER) From FIFA