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In their quest to reach an 8th consecutive FIFA World Cup, things have thus far gone swimmingly for Japan in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. Their last outing may have seen their perfect streak come to an end as they played out a 1-1 draw with Australia, but they remain a healthy five points clear at the top of Group C after emphatically winning their opening three matches. Yet, as they continue their bid to book their 2026 World Cup ticket over the next seven days -- starting with Friday's trip to Indonesia -- a significant hurdle has emerged for arguably the first time in their campaign. Last week, it was confirmed that striker Ayase Ueda will be sidelined for the rest of the year after sustaining a hamstring injury while featuring for Feyenoord in an Eredivisie clash with Ajax. It means that the Samurai Blue will be without the services of a player who has been their first-choice striker since the conclusion of the last World Cup for both the game against Indonesia, as well as another away game against China next Tuesday. Ueda's record speaks for itself. He has a creditable record of 14 goals from 30 caps -- with all 14 coming in just 18 matches since the start of 2023. His eight strikes so far in the ongoing Asian qualifiers is equal to South Korea and Tottenham star Son Heung-Min and only bettered by Qatar's Almoez Ali. Still, it isn't just his scoring prowess that Japan will miss. In addition to constantly being able to find the back of the net, Ueda's ability to lead the line as the Samurai Blue's focal point up front is pivotal to the team playing their best football. With Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu regularly preferring to operate with a sole striker -- regardless of formation -- Ueda regularly has to cope with being double-teamed, or even triple-teamed, by opposition defences. It is a task he not only dutifully performs but, in fact, excels in - with his strong hold-up play then paving the way for him to bring his teammates into play.  Since Moriyasu adopted the current adventurous 3-2-4-1 formation that has seen Japan play some scintillating football in recent months, Ueda's role has enabled the likes of Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma to deal significant damage to the opposition from deeper and wider positions. So, with Ueda unavailable for their next two games, who can Japan rely on to fill his big boots? On paper, there are very decent options starting with the most-experienced duo -- Celtic pair Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda. Despite his prolific form since moving to the Scottish Premiership, where he has averaged over a goal every other game for three and a half seasons now, Furuhashi just has not quite tickled Moriyasu's fancy. He missed out on the 2022 World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup at the start of the year, with Moriyasu requiring to directly address queries given how notable his omission was on both occasions. Now back in the international fold, Moriyasu might use the absence of Ueda as an opportunity to give Furuhashi a chance to prove his worth. Nonetheless, neither Furuhashi or Maeda, who is more likely to be called upon on the wing, have the physicality of Ueda even if both will offer the same defensive work rate as the first line of pressing. In terms of a similar target-man type, Koki Ogawa -- also based in the Eredivisie with NEC Nijmegen -- would be a better bet and he has an impressive record of seven goals in as many caps. Still, he is a relative newcomer at international level and it remains to be seen if Moriyasu will be bold enough to thrust him into the spotlight.  Then, there is the fourth option. And, while he is the most unproven of the quartet, Yuki Ohashi's form may be impossible to ignore. After previously spending the entirety of his career with the less-illustrious Shonan Bellmare, Ohashi's move to Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the start of this year saw him net 16 goals in 27 appearances as he ignited their title bid in the J1 League. Within six months, Europe came calling and -- while he has gone goalless in his past ten outings -- he has already shown he has what it takes to succeed at Championship outfit Blackburn after netting five times in his first seven matches for the club. From his off-the-ball movement that opens spaces for others and ability to play stronger than his frame suggests, as well as his keen eye for goal, Ohashi could just be the closest thing Moriyasu has to Ueda for this international window. Japan will certainly miss their regular No. 9. But they have no shortage of viable options as they look to move closer to World Cup qualification, depending on what sort of spearhead Moriyasu plumps for.
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