<p class="title">New Japan coach Akira Nishino flagged his World Cup intentions on Friday by turning to his big hitters for the home friendly with Ghana on May 30.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Talismanic Japan forward Keisuke Honda and playmaker Shinji Kagawa -- both thought to have been at loggerheads with sacked coach Vahid Halilhodzic -- were included by Nishino among a group of 27 players.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishino, who took over from the Franco-Bosnian after the latter's abrupt firing last month, is scheduled to name his final 23-man World Cup squad on May 31.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Of course I expect to pick the World Cup squad from these 27 players," Nishino told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Honda and Kagawa have been core players of the national team and I've called them up in the hope that they will be able to contribute."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda and Kagawa had both become more peripheral under Halilhodzic, but Nishino called up 17 overseas-based players to face Ghana in Yokohama in Japan's final home World Cup warm-up.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Kagawa has been struggling with an ankle injury, Nishino wants to give the Borussia Dortmund player every chance to make the plane to Russia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Kagawa requires truly delicate thinking," admitted Nishino.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have high hopes for him, and want to make a final decision during this training camp. Without doubt, he is a player who can't be replaced."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki and Galatasaray full-back Yuto Nagatomo, who have both won over 100 caps, were also among those selected.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan have been drawn alongside Colombia, Poland and Senegal in Group H at the World Cup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda, currently playing for Mexico's Pachuca, put the boot into Halilhodzic's methods when he recently told Japanese television: "To submit me to the kind of football Halilhodzic played would be shameful for me."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda's goals helped Japan reach the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but Japan crashed out of the 2014 Brazil tournament at the group stage.</p>
<p class="title">New Japan coach Akira Nishino flagged his World Cup intentions on Friday by turning to his big hitters for the home friendly with Ghana on May 30.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Talismanic Japan forward Keisuke Honda and playmaker Shinji Kagawa -- both thought to have been at loggerheads with sacked coach Vahid Halilhodzic -- were included by Nishino among a group of 27 players.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nishino, who took over from the Franco-Bosnian after the latter's abrupt firing last month, is scheduled to name his final 23-man World Cup squad on May 31.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Of course I expect to pick the World Cup squad from these 27 players," Nishino told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Honda and Kagawa have been core players of the national team and I've called them up in the hope that they will be able to contribute."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda and Kagawa had both become more peripheral under Halilhodzic, but Nishino called up 17 overseas-based players to face Ghana in Yokohama in Japan's final home World Cup warm-up.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Though Kagawa has been struggling with an ankle injury, Nishino wants to give the Borussia Dortmund player every chance to make the plane to Russia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Kagawa requires truly delicate thinking," admitted Nishino.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have high hopes for him, and want to make a final decision during this training camp. Without doubt, he is a player who can't be replaced."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki and Galatasaray full-back Yuto Nagatomo, who have both won over 100 caps, were also among those selected.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japan have been drawn alongside Colombia, Poland and Senegal in Group H at the World Cup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda, currently playing for Mexico's Pachuca, put the boot into Halilhodzic's methods when he recently told Japanese television: "To submit me to the kind of football Halilhodzic played would be shameful for me."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Honda's goals helped Japan reach the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but Japan crashed out of the 2014 Brazil tournament at the group stage.</p>