Japan suffered a major blow as its midfielder Ao Tanaka picked up an injury while playing for Leeds United in the Premier League.
Tanaka, who signed for Leeds last summer, has played 47 times, scoring five goals and two assists, and helping the team win the EFL Championship last season.
He played the full match in Leeds’ 1-0 win against Everton in its Premier League opener, but was substituted before the hour mark against Arsenal.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke confirmed that the 26-year-old picked up a Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury but did not put an exact timeline on his return.
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“MCL injury, he will also be out for a few weeks,” Farke said. “It’s difficult at the moment to say exactly when he can return, but also definitely not before the international break, so it’s quite a similar injury to Ethan Ampadu’s.”
Tanaka, having made his international debut in 2019, has played 32 times for the Samurai Blue, scoring eight times and assisting one more goal.
He famously scored Japan’s winning goal against Spain in the 2022 FIFA World Cup — one that was controversially given after cameras found the ball not to have gone out of play during the build-up.
His last international appearance was in the 2025 E-1 EAFF Championship, where he helped the side reach the final.
Published on Aug 27, 2025
