Asian Cup 2019: 5 top stars who will be missed

#3 Shinji Kagawa (Japan)

Shinji Kagawa has been struggling for game time at Borussia Dortmund and manager Hajime Moriyasu has decided against selecting the attacking midfielder for the 2019 Asian Cup. Hajime Moriyasu has decided to go with a young squad for the tournament and left out some of his star players.

The 29-year-old has 95 caps and has scored over 30 goals for his nation and recently scored in the 2018 World Cup too. He has played his part in two Asian Cups so far, winning one and losing the other in the quarter-finals.

Many experienced players including the likes of Shinji Kagawa was left out of Japan squad, but the manager has included the Werder Bremen striker Yuya Osaka, Southampton centre-back Maya Yoshida, and Galatasaray defender Yuto Nagatomo.

About the author

Sudarshan has been covering European and Indian football for Sportskeeda for
around 9 years. An Information Technology graduate and a post-graduate in International Business Operations, he has previously worked with Chennai Super Kings, Chennai City FC and the SunRisers Hyderabad handling their social media for OPN Advertising and Ting Labs. He has also travelled with the SunRisers for around 2 years, shooting content and interviewing stars such as David Warner, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jonny Bairstow.

An ardent Liverpool supporter since 2008, Sudarshan's favorite footballer is Steven Gerrard, who impressed with his unmatched leadership during the Reds' challenging periods. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp as the German's connection with fans and preference for high-intensity football resonates with him. Sudarshan aims to better analyze football matches by relying on websites like FotMob and DataMB and excels in swiftly covering breaking news events.

Mario Gotze's winner in the 2014 final is Sudarshan’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and believes that Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham could emerge as the successors to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he enjoys binge-watching movies, learning new skills to enhance his professional development, and participating in marathons.

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Edited by Sujith M