Takumi Minamino (31) has not played since suffering an ACL injury against AJ Auxerre at the end of December. And whilst the Japan international is not expected to feature again this season for AS Monaco, his manager at club level, Sébastien Pocognoli, suggested that his World Cup dream may still be alive.
Recovery from ACL injuries is a long process, one last several months, even a year. So when Minamino suffered the injury in December, there was an assumption that his dream of representing Japan in this summer’s World Cup, for which they have already qualified, was over.
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Speaking in a press conference attended by Get French Football News, Pocognoli spoke about getting all of his players back fit before the end of the season, but added that for Minamino and for Mohammed Salisu, who also suffered an ACL at the start of January, that could be difficult.
But on the former, he then added, “Maybe for ‘Taki’, there is hope for another competition at the end of the season.” Back in the Principality after spending some time in Japan, that will now be Minamino’s goal.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco
