Tsukamoto - Career In Doubt

Squirrels defender Taishi Tsukamoto has had no participation whatsoever in Ardija's pre-season training, but rumours that he was set to be released by the club have been ended by the announcement on Saturday that the 24-year-old is suffering from a form of cancer in his knee. The news story reports that instead of attending the Guam and Miyazaki camps, Tsukamoto spent January and February travelling around Japan speaking to medical specialists in the hope that one of them might be able to offer him a form of treatment that would not require an operation.

Such an operation would necessitate the insertion in his knee of an artificial bone, which would render the continuation of his pro career extremely difficult - not impossible, but extremely difficult. However, Tsukamoto will indeed undergo an operation at some point during March. The Squirrels have confirmed that his registration as a player will be retained for the 2010 season, but sadly the outlook for Taishi Tsukamoto as a professional footballer is extremely bleak.

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