Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki missed Japan’s friendly against Uruguay after being sidelined with a reported rib issue.
Suzuki was left out of Japan’s squad for Thursday’s match, which ended in a friendly victory for the Asian side.
Reports from Japan indicate that the Aston Villa goalkeeper has been training separately from the rest of the squad as he manages the problem.
The issue comes at an inconvenient time for Suzuki, who has made an encouraging start to life at Villa Park following his summer move from Parma.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper has impressed since arriving in England and has quickly attracted attention with his performances between the posts.
Japan still have two more friendlies during the current international window, giving Suzuki some time to recover before returning to action.
Their next fixture comes against Venezuela on Thursday, while Ecuador provide the opposition in Japan’s final friendly on October 1.
Suzuki’s involvement in those matches will depend on how he responds to treatment and whether he is able to resume full training with the national team.
For Aston Villa, the goalkeeper’s fitness will also be closely monitored ahead of the Premier League restart.
Villa’s next league fixture is against Brentford at Villa Park on October 10, giving Suzuki more than a week to recover after the international break.
That gap could work in his favour if the rib problem proves to be minor and he can return to full training in the coming days.
Suzuki joined Villa from Parma during the summer and has wasted little time making an impression at his new club. His performances have strengthened expectations around his role at Villa Park and made his fitness an important talking point during the international break.
The goalkeeper will now be hoping the rib issue does not develop into a longer-term concern.
With Japan preparing for two more international fixtures and Villa facing a Premier League return shortly afterwards, the coming days should provide a clearer indication of Suzuki’s availability.
For now, the priority will be getting the goalkeeper back to full fitness without taking unnecessary risks.
Aston Villa will be watching closely, particularly given Suzuki’s positive start since arriving from Parma and the importance of having their goalkeeping options available when domestic action resumes.
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