© Reuters 2002

KAGOSHIMA, Japan, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Japan international Toshihiro Hattori is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after undergoing emergency surgery for a stomach complaint, J-League club Jubilo Iwata said on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Hattori, who was rushed to hospital in Kagoshima, southern Japan, after complaining of acute stomach pains during preseason training with Iwata on Saturday, will miss Japan's friendlies against Ukraine and Poland next month.

Iwata officials said Hattori could remain in hospital for up to 10 days. Hattori, who was a member of the Japan squad which reached the final of the Confederations Cup on home soil last June, is the latest in a list of Japan internationals who have been hit by health or injury problems in recent weeks.

Japan coach Philippe Troussier is already without Iwata midfielder Hiroshi Nanami and Shimizu S-Pulse pair Ryuzo Morioka and Brazilian-born midfielder Alessandro Santos for the national team's training camp in Shizuoka Prefecture on February 25-27.

Hiroshima defender Kenichi Uemura was also ruled out of this summer's World Cup after tearing knee ligaments in training earlier this month.

Japan will play Ukraine in Osaka on March 21 before travelling to Warsaw for a friendly with Poland six days later. The Japanese are drawn in Group H alongside Belgium, Russia and Tunisia at the World Cup, which they co-host with South Korea.