Yaya Toure is fit to start for Ivory Coast after a thigh injury but forward Didier Drogba drops to the bench, with Swansea City's Wilfried Bony coming in. Japan, who have kept only one clean sheet in their last nine matches, include Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa.

Ivory Coast: Barry, Aurier, Boka, Tiote, Bamba, Zokora, Y Toure, Die, Bony, Gervinho, Kalou. Subs: Diarrassouba, K Toure, Bolly, Akpa-Akpro, Drogba, Ya Konan, Diomande, Gradel, Gbohouo, Djakpa, Sio, Mande.

Japan: Kawashima, Uchida, Nagatomo, Hasebe, Morishige, Yoshida, Okazaki, Yamaguchi, Osako, Honda, Kagawa. Subs: Sakai, Endo, Kiyotake, Kakitani, Nishikawa, Okubo, Aoyama, Konno, Inoha, Saito, Sakai, Gonda.

Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile).

Image source, Getty Images

What's that I hear you say? More? You're craving yet more World Cup drama? Three back-to-back games in the last nine hours not enough? Then all hail the tournament organisers for scheduling this middle-of-the-night nugget from Brazil.

It's Japan versus Ivory Coast, the Elephants against the Blue Samurai, the clash of the Asian and African powerhouses. Two teams who know how to get to a World Cup but are prone to freezing on the big stage. Can either warm to the stifling conditions in Recife?

Influential Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is doubtful with a thigh injury that prevented him from playing in their warm-up games, and could be replaced by Basel's Serey Die.

Toure's elder brother Kolo is available after recovering from malaria.

Japan captain Makoto Hasebe is fit after a long-term knee problem but faces competition from Hotaru Yamaguchi for a midfield starting spot.

Defenders Maya Yoshida and Atsuto Uchida have also recently returned from lengthy absences and will play.