Vissel Kobe – FW Okubo claims to be back from injury but will struggle to play a full game. DF Iwanami is away on U19 duty and also reported to be signing with PSV Eindhoven – he may not even get to make his debut for Vissel Kobe. New coach Akira Nishino will be at the club for this match.

Kashima Antlers will be missing FW Osako and MF Yamamura to U23 duty in France.

Nine wins for Kashima, just three for Kobe and five draws over the last decade in 17 meetings, with Vissel wins coming in 2003, 2004 and 2009.

Vissel Kobe (P12 W5 D0 L7 GD -4) welcome new coach Akira Nishino on the back of two losses (three including a Nabisco Cup defeat at home to S-Pulse), after interim coach Adachi won a couple to get the team’s spirits up. Nichino is known to be a man who builds a team, makes sweeping changes over a season of rebuilding, with a view to the future. But Vissel owner Mikitani wants success this season – will that be too much to ask? Nishino’s first line-up will be interesting to see. Plenty of youngsters to build a team around, with some solid experience to help settle in.

Kashima Antlers (P12 W4 D2 L6 GD +2) had a bad start, stuck with their coaching team, turned the corner, lost a few more games, and then thrashed Consadole last week 7-0 (with seven different goalscorers). They’ll be confident, but missing Osako, although Dutra and Juninho will be hoping to prove they are worthy of a place so will be giving their all. It might not be enough and I EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!

Jubilo Iwata – DF Cho is with the Korean national team, MF Yamamoto is with the Japan U23 team, GK Kawaguchi out for the season, probably.

Omiya Ardija – DFs Tsubouchi and Murakami are confirmed injured. MF Higashi is on U23 duty in France.

Jubilo Iwata (P12 W6 D3 L3 GD +9) will miss Cho and Yamamoto big time, but if Baek is on form, and Maeda is back from Japan duty ready and willing, Jubilo will be firing on most cylinders! Baek has been the driving force in a team that changed, in my opinion, from also-rans, to having a chance of a top six finish – if Baek, in particular stays fit and continues his form.

Omiya Ardija (P12 W4 D3 L5 GD -7) look like a team resigned to a struggle this season but reports state that they will be happy to survive and a target of 50 points at most is what they’ll be happy with! New signings Cho and Shimohira, and U23 starlet Higashi (missing today) can surely not be happy with a team that publicly lacks ambition like that. It won’t help team confidence, but it may give them something to prove. I think we should EXPECT a DRAW!

Shimizu S-Pulse – MF Alex Brosque is suspended after red card. DF Yoshida and MF Muramatsu are on U23 duty with Japan.

Yokohama F.Marinos – FW Yuji Ono is suspended. MF/FW Manabu Saito is with the U23 team, presuming his injured ankle is recovered!

Seven wins for Marinos, five for S-Pulse and TEN draws over the last decade, in 22 meetings begs another draw? Four of those Marinos wins came in 2005 or before.

Both teams are depleted, with Shimizu S-Pulse (P12 W7 D1 L4 GD +4) missing Brosque and Muramatsu in particular from their midfield, but Saito and Ono will be big losses for Yokohama F.Marinos (P12 W4 D5 L3 GD +2), also. Marinos won four in a row before their 0-0 draw with Gamba Osaka last time out, while S-Pulse have faltered just when we thought they could hit the top spot. A draw with Cerezo and a loss to Reds in their last two games saw them drop five points that would have seen them level at the top of J1. S-Pulse coach Afshin Ghotbi will need to rally his troops and renew the confidence that they showed until recently. They’ll need a big game from Takagi and Omae to win this, but I think we can EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

Kawasaki Frontale – DFs Jeci and Komiyama out and one of the players who replaced them in defence also out injured now, Inamoto!

Vegalta Sendai – influential MF Sekiguchi destined to be out for one month.

In nine meetings over the last ten years Frontale have four wins to Sendai’s two, with three draws. Most recently, Kawasaki triumphed in the Nabisco Cup last month.

Kawasaki Frontale (P12 W6 D1 L5 GD -1) have lost at home twice – to Reysol and Sanfrecce – in their last five games, but won the other three. They are looking better, and scoring more goals than under Naoki Soma, who started the season coaching them, but Kazama Kawasaki need to be more clinical and tighter at the back to continue challenging for the top six.18 goals scored in 12 games is not that bad, but 19 conceded does not help in the long run!

Just when we thought the Vegalta Sendai (P12 W8 D3 L1 GD +16) juggernaut had come off the road – with a loss and two draws, they annihilated Nagoya Grampus last time out. Sekiguchi will be missed, but Akamine seems back to full fitness and the team has all round quality in all areas, especially a strong defence (nine goals conceded, best in the league along with, believe it or not, Sagan Tosu!) and will be expecting to take the points here. I fancy that we should EXPECT a DRAW!

14:00 Consadole Sapporo v. Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Atsubetsu Stadium – More Misery for Sapporo!

Consadole Sapporo – FW Maeda out for approximately three months.

The teams last met four times in 2003 when Consadole gained one draw, and we saw three wins for Hiroshima.

Consadole Sapporo (P12 W1 D1 L10 GD -17) have had a dire start to their return to J1 and do not seem to be staying long. A long list of irritating injuries does not help the team, and now we can add FW Maeda to a list of players out injured. AND Jade North is on duty with Australia, as well as the team missing U19 internationals FW Sakaki and MF Arano – what’s left of this team will struggle to keep out a buoyant Sanfrecce Hiroshima (P12 W7 D1 L4 GD +9). The away team have been inconsistent over last five games with a W L W L W record in that time, but they should have no problem with Consadole! EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!