Japan kept preparing for Tunisia on June 17, but Takefusa Kubo did not join the field. The Real Sociedad forward stayed at the team hotel for treatment and rehabilitation after a left knee injury in the match against the Netherlands, leaving his availability for the second group-stage game in serious doubt.
The timing matters because Japan is not dealing with a distant concern. It is trying to get ready for its second match in World Cup Group F, with Tunisia next on June 21 Japan time and a first win in the tournament still the target after the draw with the Netherlands on June 14. If Kubo cannot go, Japan loses one of the players around whom much of its attack is built.
Japan held a largely closed training session near Nashville, Tennessee, on June 17, keeping the details of its buildup tight as the team worked toward a match it needs to manage carefully. Ayase Ueda of Feyenoord also trained separately as a precaution because of fatigue, a sign that the opening stretch of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is already asking a lot of Japan's national team.
That is the part that makes this more than a routine injury update. Japan can afford little wasted time between matches, and the gap between June 17 and June 21 is short enough that recovery work now decides who is available in Monterrey, Mexico. Kubo's chances of playing are considered slim, which leaves Japan facing the prospect of entering a crucial game without one of its most influential attackers.
The final answer will come on the team sheet, not in the buildup. Until then, Japan's preparation has a clear shape: keep the group moving, protect the players who need it, and see whether Kubo can do enough in the next few days to make the trip for Tunisia.
