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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

Japan vs Spain lineups: Starting XIs, confirmed team news, injury latest for World Cup 2022 game today

Spain have key duo Gavi and Rodri fit for their final World Cup Group E clash with Japan tonight.

Both players were seen training separately from the main group in the Spanish camp on Tuesday, though for Gavi that was an upgrade after the Barcelona sensation missed out altogether 24 hours previously after sustaining a knock that forced him off in the 1-1 draw with Germany.

Rodri, meanwhile, operates at centre-back for Spain and played the full 90 minutes at Al Bayt Stadium, and both he and Gavi are ready to start as usual tonight.

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Elsewhere for La Roja, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pau Torres, Alejandro Balde and Nico Williams all come into the first XI, replacing Dani Carvajal, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba and Ferran Torres, with Alvaro Morata also leading the line in place of Marco Asensio after his goal off the bench against Germany.

As for Japan, that remarkable defeat by Costa Rica scuppered all their hard work after a historic upset of Germany to open the group.

They need to win tonight, with a draw only enough to reach the last 16 if Costa Rica hold Germany at the same time. A defeat ends their journey at the group stage.

Shogo Taniguchi, Ao Tanaka, Junya Ito, Takefusa Kubo and Daizen Maeda are all brought into the starting team by head coach Hajime Moriyasu this evening.

Japan starting XI: Gonda, Taniguchi, Yoshida, Itakura, Nagatomo, Morita, Ito, Tanaka, Kamada, Kubo, Maeda

Spain starting XI: Unai Simón; Azpilicueta, Rodri, Pau Torres, Balde; Busquets, Pedri, Gavi; Nico Williams, Olmo; Morata.

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