Tatsuhiro Sakamoto rewarded for Premier League breakthrough but denied Asian Cup chance

Coventry City winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has earned a recall to the Japan national squad under Hajime Moriyasu following his breakthrough into the Sky Blues' Premier League starting lineup. The 30-year-old scored his first Premier League goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Sunderland. He is set to join Japan for upcoming friendlies in Singapore against Brazil on November 17 and Paraguay three days later.

However, Sakamoto will miss out on an Asian Cup appearance early next year after the AFC postponed the tournament due to regional security concerns in Saudi Arabia. The competition has been pushed back to December 2027, preventing a mid-season absence that could have seen Sakamoto miss up to seven Coventry matches across January and February.