The Japan Football Association has announced the withdrawal of Kawasaki Frontale’s Ryota Oshima and Cerezo Osaka’s Hotaru Yamaguchi from the national team’s upcoming friendlies against Chile and Costa Rica.

The two midfielders suffered injuries in Saturday’s J. League first division action, with Oshima pulling a muscle in his left calf and Yamaguchi bruising a muscle in his left thigh.

They will be replaced by Oshima’s teammate Hidemasa Morita and Yokohama F. Marinos’ Jun Amano, both of whom were called up to the national team for the first time.

Head coach Hajime Moriyasu will make his debut in charge of the Samurai Blue on Friday, September 7 at Sapporo Dome against Chile before facing Costa Rica next Tuesday at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka Prefecture.