Japan full-back Uchida ruled out of Asian Cup

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Atsuto Uchida will miss the next month's Asian Cup, with Japan allowing the Schalke full-back to maintain his fitness in Germany.

The Japanese Football Association announced coach Javier Aguirre opted not to include Uchida as the 26-year-old bids to be fit for the second half of the Bundesliga season having been hampered by a long-standing knee injury throughout 2014.

Uchida - capped 72 times by the reigning Asian Cup champions - suffered a tendon injury in his right knee in February before inflammation issues disrupted his pre-season after the World Cup in July.

The Asian powerhouse's first match is against Palestine at Newcastle Stadium on January 12.