MONACO — Japan midfielder Takumi Minamino has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee while competing for AS Monaco, which is likely to sideline him for the World Cup.
Minamino’s injury occurred during a French Cup match against Auxerre on Sunday, and “medical examinations revealed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament,” as announced by Monaco on social media Monday.
Typically, players take up to nine months to recover from an ACL injury.
Japan’s campaign in the World Cup begins on June 14, where they will face the Netherlands at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas. They will also compete against Tunisia and a European playoff qualifier, potentially Poland or Ukraine.
Minamino, who will turn 31 next month, played a significant role in Japan’s qualification for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, having contributed four goals to their campaign.
The former player for Liverpool and Salzburg has represented Japan 73 times, including three appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring a total of 26 goals.
Minamino will also be absent for the remainder of Monaco’s Champions League fixtures in January, including matches against Real Madrid and Juventus. Currently, Monaco is in 19th place out of 36 in the league standings after six rounds.
As for their domestic performance, Monaco is sitting at ninth in the French league.