Alphonso Davies ruled out of Canada's World Cup opener
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed that captain Alphonso Davies will miss the World Cup opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina due to injury.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Sven Mandel
Canada captain and Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies will not feature in Canada's World Cup opening match. Head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed the news during a press conference held ahead of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Davies' participation has been the subject of speculation since he joined the Canada camp on June 1. The star player has been managing a hamstring injury sustained during the Bayern Munich Champions League semi-final against PSG on May 6.
Marsch provided an update on the recovery process, noting that recent MRI results indicated positive signs of healing. Davies has been following a specific return-to-play protocol with an independent specialist trainer, Matthias Blankenburg, a setup coordinated between the player, his club, and Canada Soccer.
While Davies is sidelined for the opener, the coaching staff remains hopeful about his potential involvement later in the group stage. Marsch emphasized that the focus is on accelerating his recovery to give him a chance to contribute as the tournament progresses.