Cagliari Coach Discusses Yukinari Sugawara Missing Squad Lists: Registration Process Not Completed

According to Japanese media outlet Qoly, Japan international Yukinari Sugawara has repeatedly missed out on Cagliari's match squads after joining the club this summer. Head coach Fabio Pisacane explained that this was not due to sporting reasons, but because the player's registration and visa procedures had not yet been completed.

The 26-year-old Sugawara plays as a right-back and is known for his strong attacking ability. During his time in the Netherlands, he was even deployed as a winger on some occasions. Sugawara began his professional career at Nagoya Grampus and moved to Europe at the age of 19, subsequently playing in the Netherlands, England and Germany.

On September 1, Serie A club Cagliari signed Sugawara on loan from Southampton, with an option to buy included in the deal. However, Sugawara was not included in the squad for the Coppa Italia match against Verona on September 3.

Cagliari have mainly used a 4-2-3-1 formation this season. Because Sugawara was unavailable, Pisacane surprisingly deployed the 1.90-meter-tall Riccardo Ciervo as the right-back against Verona. Ciervo's usual position is winger, and he had never previously played as a full-back.

Speaking about the decision, Pisacane explained: "I had Ciervo play as a pure full-back because Zé Pedro was not in good physical condition, while Sugawara had not completed his registration at that time. I wanted to see whether Ciervo could be reliable in that position, but the result was not ideal."

Portuguese centre-back Zé Pedro can also fill in at right-back. Although he was included on the substitute list against Verona, he was not used because of his physical condition.

Sugawara's paperwork issues have still not been fully resolved. Before the match against Lecce on September 7, Pisacane said: "The possibility of Sugawara getting his visa in time is very low." Sugawara ultimately was not included in Cagliari's squad for the match against Lecce.

Sugawara's shirt number at Cagliari has also not yet been confirmed. Based on the current situation, he may have to wait until next weekend's match against Atalanta at the earliest for his first appearance after joining the club.