Yellow cards in both games, however, have seen the Santa Clara midfielder ruled out of Tuesday’s clash, with Gaku Shibasaki likely to return to the Japanese midfield after losing his place in the starting line-up to the 26-year-old former Kawasaki Frontale man.

 

The Samurai Blue are currently in third place in the standings as the competition passes the halfway point, with the Japanese amassing nine points from their first five games to trail leaders Saudi Arabia by four and second-placed Australia by one.

“We shouldn’t underestimate Oman, but we also shouldn’t underestimate ourselves,” said captain Maya Yoshida. “We have to be confident going into the next game.”

 

Japan sit one point ahead of an Oman side that handed Moriyasu’s team a 1-0 defeat in the nations’ opening encounter in Group B at Suita Stadium outside Osaka in September as the battle for the berths at the FIFA World Cup intensifies.

The Omanis go into the game off the back of a 1-1 draw with China PR on Thursday, when Amjad Al Harthi headed in a 75th minute equaliser to keep Branko Ivankovic’s side in fourth place in the Group B standings.

 

Ivankovic will be without the services of defensive duo Mohammed Al Maslami and Abdulaziz Al Gheilani while there are also doubts about the availability of forward Muhsen Al Ghassani.

Al Maslami remains unavailable after suffering an injury prior to last month’s clash with Vietnam that has kept him sidelined while Al Gheilani is continuing to receive treatment for an ailment suffered earlier this month.

 

Al Ghassani, however, could be available for selection for the first time since picking up an injury in a friendly win over Nepal in late September in Doha.

Oman v Japan
Venue: Sultan Qaboos Stadium, Muscat
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:00 hours (UTC+4)