Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma has been excluded from Japan's 26-man World Cup squad this summer.

The 28-year-old picked up a hamstring injury during the Seagulls' 3-0 victory over Wolves last weekend, ruling him out of the team's last two Premier League matches against Leeds United and Manchester United.

Placed in Group F, Japan kicks off against the Netherlands on June 14, followed by Tunisia on June 21 and Sweden five days later.

Hajime Moriyasu announced his selections on Friday, featuring Liverpool's Wataru Endo, Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada, Leeds' Ao Tanaka, and Celtic's Daizen Maeda.

After the reveal, a moved Moriyasu described Mitoma's absence as losing "a major presence" for Japan.

"It pains him more than anyone else," he noted.

"I wish for his swift recovery so he can return to the pitch with full confidence."

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler commented on Thursday that the club must "remain patient" with Mitoma's recovery, stating they "lack a precise timeline" for his return.

The expanded 48-team World Cup kicks off on June 11, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Japan's full squad:

Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Aya Suzuka (Parma Calcio).

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre AC), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Junosuke Suzuki (FC Copenhagen).

Midfielders: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Kaishu Sano (Mainz 05), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad).

Forwards: Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims), Ito Suzuki (SC Freiburg), Kento Shiode (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden).