How Japan could line up against Germany

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Hidemasa Morita is dealing with a calf problem and is classed as a major doubt for the opening day, but Japan are otherwise fit and healthy at the time of writing.

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has seemingly shaken off the muscular problem he sustained at the start of the month, and the 23-year-old could revert to a central role alongside captain Maya Yoshida.

Hiroki Sakai and Yuto Nagatomo could complete a backline of household names for Japan, with Shuichi Gonda hoping to fend off competition from Daniel Schmidt and 2018 World Cup number one Eiji Kawashima in goal.

Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada will be the standout name in Moriyasu's engine room, where fellow Bundesliga representative Wataru Endo of Stuttgart should also start after recovering from a head injury.

Gaku Shibasaki could complete the midfield trident if Morita is ruled out, while Junya Ito and Takumi Minamino are seemingly set to win the intense battle to start out wide.

Competition is rife for places in Japan's front three, but national team regular Takuma Asano may be given the nod here, leaving Takefusa Kubo, Karou Mitoma and Daizen Maeda on the bench.

Japan possible starting lineup: Gonda; Sakai, Tomiyasu, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Shibasaki, Endo, Kamada; Ito, Asano, Minamino