TOKYO (Reuters) – Wigan Athletic winger Ryo Miyaichi has an opportunity to claim a second cap for Japan after he was recalled for this month’s friendlies against France and Brazil, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Thursday.

The 19-year-old winger, on a season-long loan at Wigan from Arsenal, joins Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa and CSKA Moscow’s Keisuke Honda in a 23-man squad that features 13 Europe-based players.

Wigan Athletic's Ryo Miyaichi watches ahead of their Premier League match against Chelsea at the DW Stadium in Wigan, northern England August 19, 2012. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Takashi Inui, who has scored three goals in the Bundesliga this season, was also called up.

Asian champions Japan play France in Paris on October 12 and Brazil in Wrocklaw, Poland four days later.

Defenders Yuzo Kurihara, Atsuto Uchida and Yasuyuki Konno all return after missing last month’s 1-0 home win over Iraq in a World Cup qualifier through suspension, a match Miyaichi sat out when he was overlooked.

"Playing strong teams from Europe or South America gives Japan valuable experience for the improvement of the team," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said in a statement.

"There are not many big changes to the squad but picking it was difficult," the Italian added. "There are more players who I wanted to call up. It shows the depth in Japanese soccer."

Japan, who are six points clear at the top of Group B, play their next 2014 World Cup qualifier in Oman on November 14.

Squad:

Goalkeepers – Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege), Shusaku Nishikawa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo)

Defenders – Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka) Yuzo Kurihara (Yokohama F Marinos), Masahiko Inoha (Vissel Kobe), Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Hiroki Sakai (Hannover)

Midfielders – Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), Hajime Hosogai (Bayer Leverkusen), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Hideto Takahashi (FC Tokyo)

Forwards – Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Mike Havenaar (Vitesse Arnhem), Takashi Inui (Eintracht Frankfurt), Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Nuremberg), Ryo Miyaichi (Wigan Athletic)

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by John O’Brien)

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