Overview
- Mitoma injured his left leg during a match on May 9 and was left out of Japan’s squad for the June 2026 World Cup.
- Brighton announced on May 25 that the forward underwent surgery on the back of his thigh and described the operation as successful.
- The club has not given an expected recovery timetable and emphasized care and rehabilitation rather than a fast return.
- Manager Hütszeller said Mitoma is responding positively to rehab and is concentrating on being ready for the next club season.
- Multiple Japanese and international outlets corroborated Brighton’s announcement and noted that hamstring surgery and recovery make a mid‑tournament return during the World Cup unlikely.