J1 Machida held a closed training session on May 11 in preparation for their upcoming home match against Tokyo Verdy on May 13. Speaking to the media after practice, manager Kenta Hara (55) addressed forward Yuki Soma (29), who has been excluded from the bench for four consecutive games. “I don’t know if he’ll be available for the next match. It depends on the medical staff and him,” Hara revealed. “I’d like him back as soon as possible. If his condition improves, he’ll be included. We have to adapt to the situation, but as a father, I want him to play.”
Soma appeared to injure his leg during the April 5 match against FC Tokyo, where he was substituted off. He subsequently missed the Kashiwa Reysol game and the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) quarterfinal second leg against Al-Ittihad. After returning for the semifinals and playing well, accumulated damage forced him back to the bench from the Mito match on April 29. In a press conference after the Kashima Antlers game on May 3, Hara noted, “We’re being cautious to avoid further worsening the injury,” while adding that the recovery timeline is “sometime in May.”
The North and Central America World Cup squad will be announced on May 15 (Japan time), just four days after the Tokyo Verdy match. Soma is widely expected to be included. Earlier on May 10, Brighton midfielder Kaoru Mitoma (28) suffered a left hamstring injury, while Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino (31) and Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan (24) are also sidelined, thinning the left-side options. With Mitoma’s playing style similar to Soma’s, the possibility of Soma making the squad remains strong.
The Tokyo Verdy match is the final game before the World Cup squad announcement. For Soma, it represents a last chance to make his case, both in terms of fitness and performance.
