Albion are hoping Japan will manage Kaoru Mitoma carefully after he returned to form following an ankle injury.
The winger featured as a substitute in the 2-1 win over Liverpool.
He missed the Sunderland match due to a painful ankle, but made an impact against the champions. Mitoma has since joined up with his national team for friendlies at Hampden Park and Wembley.
Albion’s Message to Japan
Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler said they had been in contact with the Japanese medical department. They discussed how much Mitoma trained in the last week and “where he is at the moment.”
Hurzeler hopes all national teams take care of Albion’s players.
He said Albion gives them players “in really good shape” and hopes “they come back in good shape.” He added that everyone now has responsibility.
Mitoma’s International Ambitions
Mitoma is nearing his second World Cup. He is the only player still with Albion from their eight-strong representation at the 2022 finals.
He has looked to be enjoying himself in training this week and will be keen to return to international action having not played for Japan since early September due to an ankle injury.
Mitoma Keen to Assess Japan’s Progress
Mitoma said: “We want to see how well what we’ve been doing so far will work against European teams, and it’s also important to see how well we can perform what we have been doing, even with changes in the players.”
“We will be looking at each player’s condition, individual ability, and whether they can win duels.
“I think it’s great that we have a variety of players joining us, creating good competition. Each player has different strengths, so I’m hoping to learn from their strengths and then use that knowledge to my advantage when I get the chance to play.”
Mitoma has not played for Japan since early September due to an ankle injury.