Nakamura claims his body wrecked by Scottish cold

CELTIC midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura has blamed Scotland's cold climate for wrecking his body after suffering with insomnia ahead of Japan's World Cup qualifier in Oman this weekend.

"To be honest I haven't been sleeping well recently," the Parkhead midfielder told a press conference yesterday. "I can't sleep for more than three hours, so I've been trying to catch up by taking daytime naps. My body's not in the best shape."

Nakamura was instrumental in Monday's 3-0 win over Oman in Yokohama and Japan must take three points in Muscat to keep the pressure on Group 2 leaders Bahrain.

The Gulf side will be expected to beat winless Thailand in Manama, while Japan's players were still trying to acclimatise to the Middle Eastern heat after chilly temperatures at home.

"I've been living in a cold country (Scotland) for three years so my body is surprised by the heat," said Nakamura. "Your muscles ache if you play when you're dehydrating."

Temperatures in Muscat this week have climbed above 40 degrees celsius and Japan coach Takeshi Okada has been keeping training short to reduce the risk of dehydration.