Southampton midfielder Kuryu Matsuki has received his first call-up to the Japan senior national team. The 23-year-old has been included in a 31-man squad for the Kirin Cup tournament, which will be played in Japan later this month.
Matsuki's selection comes on the back of his contributions for a Southampton side sitting 10th in the Championship with 10 points from seven games. He scored his first goal for the club in their last outing, a 4-1 victory over Bristol City, and also provided an assist for Leo Scienza in the 3-1 win against Swansea. He has 18 caps for Japan at Under-23 level.
Japan will begin their Kirin Cup campaign with a friendly against Uruguay on Thursday, 24 September, followed by another friendly against Venezuela on Monday, 28 September. The competitive phase of the tournament starts with a semi-final against Ecuador on Thursday, 1 October. Depending on that result, Japan will face either New Zealand or Panama in either the final or a third-place match on Monday, 5 October.
Matsuki will now join up with the national team, meaning he will miss Southampton's upcoming Championship fixtures, starting with a trip to face 19th-placed Wrexham. His progress can be tracked alongside the rest of the squad on the club's official squad page.
This story first appeared at Southampton FC Official Site
