Injury casts shadow on Yanagisawa's World Cup prospects

Japan international Atsushi Yanagisawa's chances of playing at this summer's World Cup were left hanging in the balance Sunday after tests revealed the Kashima Antlers striker has fractured a bone in his right foot.

Yanagisawa sustained the injury in Kashima's 1-0 win away to JEF United Chiba on Saturday night and was told by doctors Sunday he will need two months to fully recover after undergoing tests at a Saitama hospital.

"It's touch and go whether he will be okay for the World Cup," said Kashima team doctor Jun Seki. "However, it's a traumatic bone fracture and that usually takes less time to recover from than a stress fracture."

Yanagisawa said, "I am hopeful. I want to play at the World Cup and will do my best" to get fit in time.

The 28-year-old picked up the injury just a month after returning to Kashima on loan until the end of June from Messina, for whom he had not scored a single league goal since joining the Italian first-division club in the summer of 2004.

Yanagisawa had been called up to the Japan squad that plays Ecuador in Oita on Thursday in a warm-up match for the World Cup finals kicking off in Germany on June 9.

The Japan Football Association said it would not be calling up a replacement for Yanagisawa for Thursday's match and wished him a speedy recovery.

"There is still a possibility that (Yanagisawa) will be fit in time for the World Cup and we hope he makes a speedy recovery," said JFA technical director Kozo Tashima said.