Kaoru Mitoma
BHAJapan
Right
May 20, 1997
29
5'10"
161 lb
LW
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One-v-One Creator
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Undergoes surgery
Mitoma (hamstring) received surgery on his injured hamstring Monday, while Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler commented "The good news is that the procedure was successful and Kaoru has now begun the early stages of his rehabilitation programme. While we appreciate the timing of the injury is bad, Kaoru remains in good spirits and his focus now is on his rehabilitation, working with the club's medical team and returning to action next season".
Analysis: Mitoma saw his 2025/26 season come to an early end and was also excluded from Japan's World Cup squad due to the issue, from which he's now expected to return at some point in the next campaign. The winger tallied three goals and one assist along with 33 shots (14 on target), 31 chances created and 49 crosses (nine accurate) over 27 appearances (19 starts) in the past year, struggling to stay fit and reach his full potential. Once he's fully recovered, he'll be back in contention with Diego Gomez, Maxim De Cuyper and Yankuba Minteh.
World Cup status unknown
Mitoma (hamstring) is out for the remainder of the league season, but remains in doubt for the World Cup, according to manager Fabian Hurzeler. For us, he will be out and will miss the next two games. Regarding the World Cup, I'm not sure yet. We are in touch with the Japan Football Association and have to make a decision together. We really have to be patient with this injury. We can't give a clear schedule or commit to when he will be available. It's very sad for Kaoru because he was in good form and had a big impact on our performances. We need to respect his privacy and take care of his health. It's a really unfortunate situation.
Analysis: Mitoma is still recovering from a somewhat serious hamstring injury, which leaves the attacker in a spot where he may miss the World Cup. Unfortunately, it appears his club and national team have no further information on his recovery, as it appears the decision to add him to the roster will be made at the last second. This is a rough spot to be for the attacker, as he was set to be a centerpiece of the Japanese squad and was in decent form, but now in a race to be fit.
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