Injury ends Miyaichi's FA Cup final dreams
Reuters - Tuesday 12 March 2013, 14:59
Ryo Miyaichi's hopes of becoming the first Japanese player to appear in an FA Cup final ended on Tuesday when Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez said he expected the winger to miss the rest of the season.
Japan international Miyaichi, 20, suffered an ankle injury after coming on as a substitute in Wigan's 3-0 shock quarter-final win at Everton on Saturday which put the Premier League strugglers into the last four for the first time in their 81-year history.
Wigan said on their official Twitter feed that they were still awaiting the result of scans on Miyaichi, who joined the Latics on a season-long loan from Arsenal but has made just seven appearances, six as a substitute.
The youngster is now set to miss Wigan's semi-final against either Millwall or Blackburn Rovers at Wembley on the weekend of April 13-14, as well as the team's relegation run-in.
Miyaichi's injury means that if Manchester United, who play Chelsea in a quarter-final replay, make it through to the final on May 11, their midfielder Shinji Kagawa could become the first Japanese to play in the final.