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Japan to rotate heavily vs Venezuela; Itakura, Ando out

Coach Moriyasu said Japan will make major changes for the 28 September Kirin Challenge Cup match against Venezuela in Hiroshima, starting uncapped and inexperienced players. Ko Itakura and Tomoya Ando will miss the game.

What it means

• Moriyasu confirmed a heavily changed starting XI from the 3-1 win over Uruguay
• Ko Itakura targets a return in the 1 October Ecuador match
• Tomoya Ando out with back pain, recovery slower than expected

Model read

Japan field a largely experimental, inexperienced side, so their usual cohesion and defensive solidity are reduced — a notable downgrade for this friendly, though the deep squad limits the damage.

All signals for this team: Japan