Canada is about to host its first-ever men’s World Cup match on home soil. Its best player will almost certainly be watching from the sideline.
Head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed on May 26 that Alphonso Davies, the team’s captain and most recognizable talent, is not expected to be fit for Canada’s Group B opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12. The culprit: a hamstring injury picked up during Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain in early May.
The injury and what Marsch has said
Marsch acknowledged that Davies would not be ready for the opener but left the door open for contributions later in the group stage or even the knockout rounds. The priority, Marsch made clear, is managing the recovery properly rather than rushing his most important player back for a single match.
As of early June, Davies was still in Germany undergoing rehabilitation. He was expected to link up with the national team around the end of May, giving the medical staff time to assess his progress in person before the tournament kicks off.
