Japanese playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura is doubtful for this weekend's World Cup warmup against England in Austria due to injury.

The 31-year-old has been struggling with a sore left ankle and only played the first half of an inter-squad match behind closed doors before spending the rest of Friday's session training alone.

"Shunsuke needs a bit more time to get back to his best condition and I am not sure if he can play," said coach Takeshi Okada Friday at Japan's training camp in the Alpine village of Saas-Fee.

"I was seeing how my ankle would hold up and have had an injection which is helping," said Nakamura.

Japan, the three-time Asian champions, are drawn in a tough Group E alongside Camerron, Netherlands and Denmark for the upcoming World Cup Finals in South Africa on June 11-July 11.