Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka has shrugged off a minor back complaint and will be ready to face Paraguay in their round of 16 match on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Tulio bruised his back in the latter stages of Thursday's 3-1 win against Denmark, but trained alone on Saturday in a light session.

"I just picked up a knock late in the game against Denmark. I'll be all right," Tulio said Saturday. "You expect fatigue to build up during a tournament, but I am really looking forward to playing against Paraguay."

Tulio had an eventful few days leading up to the tournament, scoring own goals in friendly losses to England and Ivory Coast and colliding with Didier Drogba, resulting in the Ivorian captain breaking his right arm.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP