Women's World Cup 2023: Mana Iwabuchi left out of Japan's World Cup squad
- Published
Mana Iwabuchi has scored 37 goals in 90 appearances for Japan
Forward Mana Iwabuchi has been left out of Japan's 23-player squad for this summer's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The 30-year-old, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Tottenham from Arsenal, has been involved in the last three World Cups.
Her absence means captain Saki Kumagai is the only survivor from the team that won the World Cup in 2011.
Iwabuchi scored once in 13 appearances following her move to Spurs.
Coach Futoshi Ikeda said: "Iwabuchi is a player who has done a lot to drive this team forward but I am choosing 23 players for this specific time and there is no one reason for my choices.
"It's about form, fitness, the state of the team and what we need in certain situations."
Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa, Liverpool's Fuka Nagano and West Ham duo Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi have been included in the squad.
Japan, who are in Group C with Spain, Costa Rica and Zambia, lost to the Netherlands in the last 16 at the 2019 World Cup after reaching the final of the previous two tournaments.
Japan squad
Goalkeepers: Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Momoko Tanaka (Tokyo Verdy Beleza), Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata).
Defenders: Risa Shimizu (West Ham), Moeka Minami (Roma), Saki Kumagai (Roma), Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Kiko Seike (Urawa Reds), Miyabi Moriya (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Rion Ishikawa (Urawa Reds), Hana Takahashi (Urawa Reds).
Midfielders: Fuka Nagano (Liverpool), Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai), Hikaru Naomoto (Urawa Reds), Jun Endo (Angel City), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City), Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns), Honoka Hayashi (West Ham), Aoba Fujino (Tokyo Verdy Beleza).
Forwards: Riko Ueki (Tokyo Verdy Beleza), Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Maika Hamano (Hammarby), Remina Chiba (JEF United).