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Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa and Southampton defender Maya Yoshida have been named in Japan's 23-man World Cup squad.

AC Milan midfielder Keisuke Honda is one of 12 Europe-based players picked by coach Alberto Zaccheroni for the Brazil tournament.

Japan, who co-hosted the tournament with South Korea in 2002, are in their fifth consecutive World Cup finals.

They face Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia in Group C.

Centre-back Yoshida, 25, has not played for Saints since picking up a knee ligament injury during training in February.

Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo will have the chance to add to his national record of 141 caps.

Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege), Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo).

Defenders: Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka), Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Masahiko Inoha (Jubilo Iwata), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke 04), Hiroki Sakai (Hannover 96), Gotoku Sakai (VfB Stuttgart).

Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Keisuke Honda (AC Milan), Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United), Makoto Hasebe (FC Nuremberg), Hiroshi Kiyotake (FC Nuremberg), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Toshihiro Aoyama (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Manabu Saito (Yokohama F. Marinos).

Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Mainz), Yoichiro Kakitani (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Osako (TSV Munich 1860), Yoshito Okubo (Kawasaki Frontale).