Canada begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina inside the BMO Field Stadium – but Alphonso Davies is not in the starting XI.
The Bayern Munich No.19 will watch his teammates from the sidelines after damaging his left hamstring during a 1-1 draw between the German giants and PSG in the UEFA Champions League back in May.
However – when addressing reporters on the matter ahead of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jesse Marsch seemed quite optimistic that Davies won't be missing for much longer.
The former Leeds United boss – who also faces Switzerland and Qatar in Group B – said: "We did an MRI yesterday. It showed very positive signs that he's healing incredibly well, almost completely. We're getting ready to ramp things up. I think that he's showing, like he always has, a really good ability to recover from muscle injuries.
"We are really hopeful that over the next few days and weeks, we can accelerate things and give him a chance to contribute here soon."
Davies has endured a difficult time in recent seasons when it comes to injuries.
The 25-year-old endured a torn anterior cruciate ligament back in March 2025 while playing for Canada, before suffering a torn muscle fibre in February 2026 as his body readjusted to the demands of professional football at the highest level.
Before that initial anterior cruciate ligament tear in March 2025, the former Vancouver Whitecaps star was arguably the best left-back on the planet.
Therefore, Bayern Munich were understandably furious to hear Davies had suffered one of the worst injuries in football while under the responsibility of Canada – whose fans held a March to the Match ahead of facing Bosnia and Herzegovina – on international duty.
Photo by Eliecer Aizprua Banfield/Jam Media/Getty Images
As reported by the Guardian at the time, Bayern Munich considered taking legal action against the Canadian Soccer Federation after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a 2-1 win over the United States in March 2025.
Jan-Christian Dreesen, Chief Executive Officer of Bayern Munich, said: "We're demanding a full investigation into the events from Canada Soccer and expressly reserve the right to take legal action.
"Sending a clearly injured player with a damaged knee on a 12-hour flight without a thorough medical assessment is, in our view, grossly negligent and a clear breach of medical duty of care.
"The participation of Davies, who already had muscular problems before the game, in a match of no sporting significance is incomprehensible from our point of view."
That clash against the United States was a mere play-off for third place in the CONCACAF Nations League, so it was certainly controversial of Canada to start the Bayern Munich defender.
