Valencia could be without Ryunosuke Sato for a month during Asian Cup | OneFootball

According to Superdeporte, Valencia could be without Ryunosuke Sato for about one month if he is called up by Japan for the Asian Cup in early 2027.

Japan face a major continental commitment in January 2027. The tournament begins on seven January, with Japan opening against Indonesia on eleven January, and the final scheduled for five February. A call-up could require Sato to join up before the end of 2026 or in the first days of 2027.

The forward, a 2026/27 signing, has targeted that squad and is bidding to kick on at Valencia in his first stint outside Japan. Working under Carlos Corberán, he has trained normally through pre-season and is already off the mark for the club.

Sato is in Hajime Moriyasu’s thoughts, having been used five times. He debuted in a World Cup qualifier with 21 minutes, then featured three times at the East Asian Cup against Hong Kong, China and South Korea, earning his first start there. His most recent appearance came in a November friendly with Ghana, and he was also in the March squad without playing.

He made his Valencia bow in the friendly against Eldense and impressed. On 23 minutes he met a Raba pass on the edge of the box, controlled with his left and volleyed into the top corner to open the scoring. He also played a key role in the second goal.

Source: Superdeporte