MIYACHI TIPPED FOR CALL UP

Teenage Arsenal striker Ryo Miyachi is set to get his first call up to the Japan National Football Team, according to sources in Japan and Bolton.

If he does get the call up to the national side, it will be the first time that Miyachi will be called into the national team which plays Uzbekistan in a World Cup Qualifier later in this month.

The Technical Director of the Japan Football Association or JFA, Hiromi Hara revealed to the local newspapers that they had been in contact with the Bolton Wanderers team regarding his availability for the match against Iceland on the 24th of this month, which is not a FIFA sanctioned match date.

The Technical Committee of the Japan National Football Team announced a 23 man squad made up of mainly J-League based players for the upcoming friendly match against Iceland on the 24th of February at the Toyota Stadium. However, the team is expected to add Europe based players to that squad including Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa, CSKA Moscow player Keisuke Honda as well as Miyachi, who is currently on loan to Bolton Wanderers from Arsenal.

The news comes in the wake of Miyachi getting his maiden run out for the Bolton Wanderers team in the English Premier League after he joined the side towards the end of the winter transfer window. According to Hara, the JFA has officially approached the English Premier League side regarding his availability for the match against Uzbekistan but no reply has been received yet.

According to Hara, the JFA don’t expect to have him for the match on the 24th but they are hopeful that Bolton will allow the striker to join the Japan National Football Team for the first time and according to sources, he might also get a start in the match.