Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu insists it's nothing personal that Celtic pair Kyogo and Reo Hatate were snubbed for his final World Cup group.
The duo have been key for Ange Postecoglou this season but the only Parkhead star in the final squad for Qatar was Daizen Maeda - with his teammates given the cold shoulder. That was to be expected for out-of-favour Yosuke Ideguchi but Hatate and Kyogo were expected to be in with a chance - particularly the latter who has nine goals in 17 games this season.
As well as sparking confusion in Scotland, Moriyasu has faced criticism in his homeland for not including Kyogo in after his impressive form since his move to Glasgow. But the Japanese boss revealed it wasn't just his decision.
He said: "We sat down and lined up every position, player-by-player. We discussed their form, their potential to make an impact and eventually narrowed it down to the final list.
"I wish to point out this was not just a decision made by me. I have ten members of my coaching staff and we all met and made the decision about who to include and who to leave out after numerous meetings. Everyone had an opinion and they were all invaluable.
"It was a huge task to narrow the list down, but I am happy with my choices. We have selected Japan's best 26 players after comprehensive consideration. Everyone has to trust us with the decision."
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