Wataru Endo has endured a frustrating few months at Liverpool, but the latest Japan squad announcement offers a welcome sign around his recovery.
The midfielder has been sidelined since suffering a foot injury against Sunderland on February 11, leaving him with just 12 appearances, one assist and 455 minutes for us this season.
With the World Cup approaching, his inclusion suggests Japan still expect their captain to be ready for a major role this summer.
BBC Sport confirmed Japan’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, with Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma left out after suffering a hamstring injury.
The report stated: “Manager Hajime Moriyasu named his squad on Friday, with Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka of Leeds and Celtic’s Daizen Maeda all included.”
That is encouraging from a Liverpool perspective because Endo has not played since being stretchered off in the second half of our win at Sunderland.
Slot said on April 24 that the 33-year-old was starting to work outside with the rehab team and that Liverpool were hoping to have him back near the end of the season.
With Aston Villa and Brentford still to come, the Japanese international will surely be desperate for some minutes before heading into tournament football.
Endo may have been a rotation player this season, and with one year left on his contract it would be understandable if the former Stuttgart man looked for more regular football this summer.
Even so, his attitude has never been in doubt, and Virgil van Dijk summed that up after the injury by calling him “such an important and respected member of the team.”
Endo himself later explained the emotion of that moment, saying: “I was not crying because it was painful, it was because our fans were singing my song and that means a lot to me.”
That line says everything about a player who has always given everything, whether starting, closing games out, or playing five-minute cameos when Liverpool needed control.
His Japan call-up is good news for Endo and, hopefully, a sign we may see him again before the season ends.
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