Australia names squad for World Cup qualifier with Japan

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has named a 22-man squad for his country's upcoming World Cup qualifying blockbuster against Japan in Yokohama.

There are several notable casualties - with Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton expected to miss the rest of the season after he suffered cruciate knee ligament damage in Blackburn's scoreless draw with Middlesbrough in the English Premier League last weekend.

Emerton's Blackburn team-mate Vince Grella returns to the squad, but Australia are missing talismanic Galatasaray star Harry Kewell for what is shaping up as the most anticipated clash of Pim Verbeek's reign so far. 

Lanky striker Joshua Kennedy has been named despite falling out of favour with his club side Karlsruher SC, with reports in Kicker Magazin suggesting that Kennedy has requested a transfer after he was substituted in Karlsruhe's dismal German Cup defeat to Second Division side SV Wehen-Wiesbaden last week.

Japan face Finland in a friendly tomorrow in their final warm-up before their clash with the Socceroos at a sold-out Yokohama International Stadium, and coach Takeshi Okada has named a 25-man squad for both matches.

VVV Venlo midfielder Keisuke Honda has surprisingly been dropped following Japan's most recent 1-0 defeat to Bahrain in Asian Cup qualifying, while there was no room for Catania youngster Takayuki Morimoto.

Veteran goalkeepers Seigo Narazaki and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi are both injured - prompting a surprise call-up for Kashiwa Reysol keeper Takanori Sugeno.

The Australia squad to face Japan is:

Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham, ENG), Adam Federici (Reading, ENG), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, TUR)

Defenders: Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel, SUI), Chris Coyne (Colchester United, ENG), Craig Moore (Queensland Roar), Lucas Neill (West Ham United, ENG), Jade North (Incheon United, KOR), Shane Stefanutto (Lyn Oslo, NOR)

Midfielders: Mark Bresciano (Palermo, ITA), Tim Cahill (Everton, ENG), David Carney (Norwich, ENG), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, NED), Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers, ENG), Mile Jedinak (Genclerbirligi, TUR), Mile Sterjovski (Derby County, ENG), Carl Valeri (Grosseto, ITA), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow, RUS)

Forwards: Richard Garcia (Hull City, ENG), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar, NED), Joshua Kennedy (Karlsruher SC, GER), Scott McDonald (Celtic, SCO)

The Japan squad to face Finland and Australia is:

Goalkeepers: Ryota Tsuzuki (Urawa Reds), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Takanori Sugeno (Kashiwa Reysol)

Defenders: Shuhei Terada (Kawasaki Frontale), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos), Kazumichi Takagi (Gamba Osaka), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Michihiro Yasuda (Gamba Osaka), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic, SCO), Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba Osaka), Junichi Inamoto (Eintracht Frankfurt, GER), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Daisuke Matsui (Saint-Etienne, FRA), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg, GER), Shinji Kagawa (Cerezo Osaka)

Forwards: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Seiichiro Maki (JEF United), Yoshito Okubo (Wolfsburg, GER), Tatsuya Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse)