Saito out for season with knee injury

Yokohama F. Marinos attacker Manabu Saito will require eight months to recover after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament, the club announced on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old ruptured his knee during F. Marinos’ 3-2 loss at Ventforet Kofu on Saturday in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League Round 27.

The diagnosis means that Saito, who represented Japan at the 2012 London Olympics and was an unused squad member at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, will miss the upcoming 2017 EAFF E-1 Championship.