Kashima Antlers – Kashima MAY see the return of experienced defensive all-rounder Koji Nakata from injury.
Cerezo Osaka – defender Maruhashi must be considered doubtful for this game.
Kashima Antlers (P6 W1 D1 L4 GD -5) finally saw their first win of the season last week against high flyers FC Tokyo, although they made hard work of the win and there were not any major improvements on display as yet. If Japanese youngsters Osako and Koroki deliver the goods there will be no reason for coach Jorginho to use Juninho and Dutra from the bench and the signs were there last week.
This team is the proverbial “too good to go down” team, with the likes of Endo, Shibasaki, Koroki and Osaka, among others forging a team for the future but the fans will have to be patient this season as the team consolidates and makes those changes from the old guard to the new.
Cerezo Osaka (P6 W3 D1 L2 GD +3) are the ultimate in inconsistency, destroying Omiya Ardija 3-0 away from home two games back, then allowing Albirex Niigata their first win of the season at home last weekend. The team must be admired for the way they have come through losing the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Takashi Inui and Akihiro Ienaga over recent times and will have to prepare for Hiroshi Kiyotake to follow them out of the club very soon and could be forgiven for some of that inconsistency, but the likes of Yamaguchi and Ogihara will take on the mantle of Liyotake and team will move on, again.

That inconsistency is hard to predict, and Antlers have finally got the taste of victory on their tongue, and home advantage to boot, but I am going for a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA.
Cerezo did the double over Kashima last season and are ahead historically seven wins against four wins for Antlers over 14 games over the past decade or so.