Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu says the "level of the league" in Scotland was one of the factors behind his decision to overlook Kyogo and Reo Hatate once again.
The Celtic pair were left out the squad for their games with Uruguay and Colombia despite their stellar form for Ange Postecoglou's runaway Premiership leaders. It comes after they were snubbed for the World Cup in Qatar and Celtic fans have been perplexed as to why two of their key men can't seem to get a look in.
Daizen Maeda was picked but Kyogo has 26 goals this season while Hatate will be in the running for their player of the season having become a fixture in the engine room alongside Callum McGregor. However Moriyasu says multiple factors, including the "level of the league" were considered before overlooking the duo.
He said: "I've watched all of Celtic's games and seen what they've accomplished and their presence in the team. But there's no bar to clear to be called up; it's a comprehensive decision.
"We think about the level of the league and various other factors when making the decision. For this squad we focused on the squad from Qatar as well as some new players. There will be other call-ups. As I said, we're trying to build strongest team possible ahead of 2026.
"In order to do that we're taking a wide view of how to build the team... as I think we all agree, (Reo and Kyogo) would absolutely be able to contribute to the team, but this time I wanted to try out some different players and that's why they weren't selected."
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