Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu laments Celtic injuries

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Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu expressed his disappointment over injuries to Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, which mean both will miss upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.

Kyogo suffered a head injury against Aberdeen on Sunday, while Maeda picked up a medial knee ligament strain against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. This injury is expected to keep Maeda out of the Celtic squad for six weeks with Kyogo’s injury return date unknown.

Japan are due to face Myanmar tomorrow and Syria on Tuesday in World Cup Qualifiers, and the absences of Kyogo and Maeda will undoubtedly affect the Japan national team. However, Moriyasu is optimistic that they can still get the job done despite the injury setbacks.

It has certainly been an unfortunate week for Celtic with injuries, Moriyasu clearly values both players, demonstrating that their hard work for Celtic in recent years is not going unnoticed in Japan.

Moriyasu said: [The Herald], “It’s a shame to miss them both, but the players are the ones who are most disappointed.

“First of all, the most important thing is that both recover fully and return to being productive at their club.

“I think they are players who have the strong will and power to do that.

“I’m proud of the depth of our squad though with so many players to choose from and the performance and presence they’ve shown both overseas and domestically.”

Moriyasu’s comments echo just how important Kyogo and Maeda are to the future of Japanese football and showcase the talents that Celtic has on their hands, with Japan reaching the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Kyogo and Maeda are undoubtedly two of the first names on the team sheet, and Celtic will hope they can get back to full fitness as soon as possible, as they have proven time and time again that they can be the difference-makers when it matters most.

The partnership that Maeda and Kyogo have formed as part of Celtic’s front three has been unstoppable domestically during their time at the club and will continue to progress under Brendan Rodgers. However, right now, both players need to rest so that they can recover from injuries that have left them without the opportunity to play for their national team in crucial fixtures.