Shimizu S-Pulse have confirmed that Kazuya Murata will be sidelined for up to a month due to a hamstring strain he picked up last Saturday.

The winger had to be withdrawn on the half-hour mark against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, in a match Katsumi Oenoki’s men lost 2-0.

Murata had recorded one goal and three assists in seven games before his injury, with his absence now a blow to S-Pulse’s survival efforts.

The 26-year-old moved to IAI Stadium Nihondaira in 2013, and was pivotal last season after scoring a crucial winning goal against Kawasaki Frontale.

New S-Pulse signings Mitchell Duke and Peter Utaka must now shoulder more attacking responsibility between themselves, after starting together for the first time this season at Sanfrecce.