Some great news for Newcastle, with confirmation that Yoshinori Muto has been left out of the Japan squad for the Asian cup – meaning he will NOT be on international leave in January.
The worry now is that Ki Sung-yueng is likely to be called up to South Koreas squad, meaning he could miss up to four weeks of action if they go far in the tournament.
Back to Muto and although it may not quite be the January boost Benitez was looking for, Rafa could do without losing his most expensive summer signing – especially when a new striker is said to be on his wanted list as it is next month.
Muto had been struggling with a recent calf injury, however this is NOT the reason he has been left out, with the Chronicle confirming that Japanese FA have allowed him to sit out of the tournament after just recently becoming a father.
Let’s hope Japan’s loss is our gain, with Muto showing flashes but failing to get a decent run in Rafa’s side as of yet.
