Japan national team manager Alberto Zaccheroni has travelled to Europe to check on some of his fringe players ahead of the World Cup.
The Blue Samurai boss is putting together his preliminary squad for Brazil 2014 , which will be named on May 12, and needs to see what some of the Europe-based Japanese are capable of.
"I'm going to check on the players who are on the fringe," Zaccheroni told reporters at Haneda airport on Thursday.
"I plan on speaking to them directly, too.
"There are 55 candidates right now. About half of them are attacking players."
Among the players on Zaccheroni's watchlist will be Hertha Berlin midfielder/defender Hajime Hosogai, Hannover 96 defender Hiroki Sakai and Stuttgart forward Gotoku Sakai.
