4 May 2006(Thu)

Tokyo, May 2, 2006 -- The "Yanagisawa Affair" is not quite of Rooney proportions, but it's still a matter of concern for the player and for Zico.

The name of Yanagisawa was missing from Zico's Kirin Cup squad on Tuesday, and that's quite understandable considering he is recovering from injury.

After all, there's still two weeks before Zico must name his "final" 23-man squad for Germany by May 15, and even then a player can be replaced due to injury and with sufficient medical evidence.

So time is on Yanagisawa's side, and there's no reason for anyone to start panicking.

Unlike in England, of course, where the Rooney injury is dominating the news in the same way as Beckham's injury did four years ago.

England's coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, seems determined to select Rooney, against the wishes of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in the hope he will be fit for the second round. England should be good enough to come through a group comprising Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden, and the Round of 16 does not start in Germany until June 24 -- eight weeks after Rooney's injury.

Zico does not have such a luxury with Yanagisawa, as Japan need their top players from the moment the whistle blows against Australia on June 12.

This is Japan's critical game. They must take at least one point, preferably three, against the Aussies, because it won't get any easier against Croatia and Brazil in the next matches.

Judging from Zico's comments, it seems clear that Yanagisawa will be in the 23 if he continues to improve and does not injure the foot again.

Zico is also known to favour Takahara and Kubo, and if he's planning to take only four forwards to Germany that leaves only one place available.

Alongside Takahara, Kubo and Yanagisawa, therefore, must be a player with different qualities, and the last spot seems certain to go to Oguro. Zico acknowledges the former Gamba striker has something special, and Oguro scored some big goals for the national team during World Cup qualifying and at the Confederations Cup. So that's it...no Takayuki, no Tamada, no Maki, no Sato and no Okubo (anyone remember him?)

I'm not saying these would be my choices, because I would certainly find room for Maki on current form and fitness, but that's the way it's turning out.

These broken bones are certainly causing problems around the world, though, and it was interesting to hear the comments of Robbie Earle -- the former Wimbledon midfielder -- during the Chelsea-Man Utd game on TV on Saturday night.

He says the lighter, softer boot favoured by the players now is leaving them short of protection, hence the rise in "metatarsal" fractures.

Not so long ago most football fans wouldn't have known what a metatarsal was or where it was located in the body (the elbow, maybe, or the nose?) but now it's as much a part of Beckham's history as is Posh Spice, Brooklyn and Romeo.

ends