TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to retain his current finance and foreign ministers in a cabinet reshuffle expected on Wednesday, the Nikkei newspaper said.

Kishida, who is facing his lowest support levels since taking office in October, is expected to keep Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, the newspaper said late on Monday.

It did not say where it got the information.

Kishida also intends to keep the deputy prime minister, Taro Aso, and Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief cabinet secretary, it said, other media have previously said those two would likely be retained.

Kishida said over the weekend he would reshuffle his cabinet to address mounting issues, including rising COVID-19 infections.

The reshuffle, earlier than previously expected, comes as Kishida's administration faces increasing public scrutiny on the relationship between the Unification Church religious group and ruling party lawmakers, including slain former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Jiji news agency reported on Friday that Suzuki, the finance minister, would be retained. The Yomiuri newspaper had previously reported that Kishida was likely replace Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, due to his health issues.

  - Reuters