Nakamura's role for Japan uncertain ahead of final warm-up

Former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura looks set to start today's warm-up match against Ivory Coast on the substitutes' bench as speculation continues about his role in Japan's World Cup squad.

He sat out the 2-1 loss to England in Austria on Sunday because of pain in his injured left ankle and has struggled with fitness since returning to the J-League's Yokohama Marinos in February after only six months at Spain's Espanyol.

Nakamura was Japan's key playmaker in World Cup qualifying, but has played a substitute role during the team's training camp in the Swiss ski resort of Saas-Fee, Japanese media said yesterday.

On Wednesday, the Blue Samurai played three short intra-squad matches, with reports saying Nakamura ran out with the substitutes in the first game.

In the second and third games, he played with the regulars as a left midfielder, giving up his usual right midfield position to up-and-coming CSKA Moscow rookie Keisuke Honda, the reports said.

Nakamura was also seen playing in the left midfield on Tuesday.

"I'm not thinking about whether I'll make the first team or whether I'll play all matches," he told the Daily Sports ahead of the Ivory Coast game in the Swiss city of Sion, Japan's final pre-World Cup warm-up.

"I'll do whatever I can do for Japan to win."

"Right or left, I don't mind which side I play. If I'm on the left side, it is easier for me to feed crosses," the left-footed dead-ball specialist told the Nikkan Sports.

Japan have lost their three previous internationals - 3-0 to a third-string Serbia and 2-0 to South Korea, both at home, before the narrow loss to England.

Nakamura was substituted in the second half against South Korea.