Nice defender Bombito (wrist) to miss Gold Cup
Published
Canada manager Jesse Marsch confirmed that Moise Bombito will not be a part of his Gold Cup squad next month.
The Nice centre-back underwent surgery on his injured wrist and the recovery period, coupled with an early start to Nice's Champions League-qualifying campaign, will rule him out of the tournament.
In his first season in Ligue 1, the 25-year-old Montreal native made 27 league appearances for the fourth-place side. The former Colorado Rapids defender has been capped 19 times by Canada since his senior debut in 2023.
Speaking to reporters after naming his roster for next month's Canadian Shield tournament at Toronto's BMO Field, Marsch also had updates on a pair of other Canada regulars who were omitted from the squad.
Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston, whose team is looking to finish off a domestic treble on Saturday in the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen, has been dealing with a hip injury, while Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio, who hasn't played since Apr. 26, is contending with a shoulder issue. Both, Marsch says, should be ready for the Gold Cup.
The Canadian Shield is an inaugural four-team tournament set to kick off on June 7 with Ukraine, Cote d'Ivoire and New Zealand also participating. Each team will play two matches in the tourney.
Marsch also addressed Canada captain Alphonso Davies, who recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL. Marsch says he's left open the opportunity for Davies to contribute to the team's Gold Cup entry from a leadership perspective even with him unable to participate.
Champions in 2000, Canada's Gold Cup begins on June 17 at BC Place in Vancouver against Honduras. The team will then relocate to Houston for matches against Curacao and El Salvador to round out Group B action.
The knockout round, set for Minneapolis and Glendale, AZ, begins on June 28 with the final set for Houston on July 6.