Bayern Munich’s announcement that Alphonso Davies has suffered another setback and will miss four to five weeks with a left hamstring injury is a massive blow to Canada’s roster five weeks from the team’s opening World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
Canada’s captain appeared to suffer the injury to his left leg following a run down the left wing in the 86th minute of Bayern’s 1-1 draw, (6-5 loss on aggregate) to Paris Saint Germain in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
In an attempt to help Davies rush back to health, Canada Soccer says it will collaborate with Bayern Munich.
“We’re in close contact with Alphonso and remain in touch with Bayern’s medical team following his recent setback,” Canada Soccer said in a statement provided to TSN.
“Our focus is on supporting his recovery and providing every available resource, including specialized soft tissue expertise, to give him the best possible pathway back to full fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup.”
Canada travels to Vancouver to play Qatar June 18 and finally Switzerland on June 24, so Davies’ availability for the group stage is now very much in doubt.
If Canada were to make the Round of 32, they could play June 28, 29, July 1, or if the country finishes first in Group B, July 2 in Vancouver.
Friday’s news is the most recent setback for Davies after he missed nine months recovering from an ACL injury to his right knee while playing for Canada in the Concacaf Nations League Finals in March 2025. He returned to Bayern in mid-December, but by the end of February tore a muscle fiber in his right hamstring.
Davies returned just over two weeks later, but then suffered a hamstring strain in his first game back that kept him out until the beginning of April. Since his most recent return, Davies’ has made nine appearances across all competitions, including four starts, but has not played more than 62 minutes in a match.
This is the second prolonged absence Davies has had from the national team. In late 2021, Davies missed seven months, and Canada’s final six 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with heart inflation called myocarditis.
In the 41 matches Davies has played with Canada, the country has won 20, lost 12, and drawn nine, scored 74 goals and conceded 44. Without him for 36 matches, Canada has 20 wins, six losses, and 10 draws, netted 68 goals and allowed 26.
When fully healthy, few players possess Davies’ ability to explosively accelerate with the ball at his feet.
But now, his absence will affect several aspects of Canada’s preparation ahead of June 12 because there are so many questions:
Will Davies miss the entire group stage? When and if available, can he only be a substitute? Who will replace him in the starting lineup? How will that affect Canada’s left side? How might it all influence Jesse Marsch’s roster, which has to be finalized by June 1? And, who will lead Canada out as captain on June 12?
Davies has not played for Canada in 14 months, so there are plenty of potential solutions Marsch has already applied.
Over the recent time Davies has missed, Canada has relied on Richie Laryea, Ali Ahmed, Liam Millar, Junior Hoilett, and most recently Marcelo Flores, to maintain work rate and tactical stability on Canada’s left side. However, there are other injuries on the left that will complicate Marsch’s ability to search for a solution.
Ali Ahmed limped out of Norwich City’s final game of the English Championship season last weekend with a still undisclosed injury, and Richie Laryea has missed the last three Toronto FC games with a thigh issue TFC insist will not keep Laryea out of the World Cup.
If Ahmed and Davies miss game time, Flores – whose direct attacking and creativity impressed in Canada’s March friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia - will be an option to start on the left side of midfield.
Behind Flores, Laryea, Zorhan Bassong, and even right midfielder Tajon Buchanan are options. On rare occasions, Buchanan did play left back during his time with Club Brugge in Belgium.
There might now also be a chance for veteran Junior Hoilett, who Marsch has used only occasionally.
Sam Adekugbe could be a dark horse option as he continues to work diligently toward a comeback from a torn Achilles suffered almost a year ago, but there’s no indication when Adekugbe might be back playing, which is also true of other key members of Canada’s men’s national team.
Canada Soccer also recently collaborated with Nice in France when it sent medical staff to Europe to help with Moïse Bombito’s recovery from a broken leg he suffered last fall. Bombito is back in training, but may not play again until Canada’s pre-tournament friendlies in June against Uzbekistan in Edmonton and Ireland in Montreal.
Bombito’s fellow centre back Derek Cornelius also missed extensive time with a muscle injury, and is now back training; however, he reportedly got into a dispute with his head coach and now hasn’t played at all for Rangers FC since last November.
And although multiple sources told TSN this week that Promise David’s recovery from hip surgery three months ago is ahead of schedule, and an MRI later this month will determine if he’s available for World Cup selection, it’s hard to imagine David would be anything more than an offensive option very late in games.
Add to those the tentative health of those are now back playing, like Buchanan (who missed playing time with an undisclosed injury) midfielder Stephen Eustáquio (returned from a hematoma), and defender Luc de Fougerolles ( returned from groin and ankle injuries), and Jacob Shaffelburg (returned from a groin injury) and it has been a nervy few months for Marsch and his coaching staff as they attempt to craft a World Cup squad.
But camaraderie and resilience are qualities within the team that have carried over since the 2022 World Cup.
In Davies’ absence, Marsch will be confident leaning on his leadership council, including Eustáquio, who is the team’s vice-captain, and Jonathan David, who captained Canada during last summer’s Gold Cup when both Davies and Eustáquio were unavailable.
