Alphonso Davies should be missing from the Canadian team once again

The captain of the Canadian national team, Alphonso Davies, is unlikely to take the field in this Thursday's match against Qatar. The 25-year-old player continues in the process of physical transition to recover from a thigh strain, maintaining the hope of defending his country in the 2026 World Cup.

The defender had already been left out of the Canadians' debut last Friday - a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Toronto - and remains under medical protocols for returning to the field.

Caution in recovery and coach's endorsement
"I think we understand the importance of the debut, but we also know that recovery is always the most important thing. There is no need to rush, just continue the treatment," he said before the debut.

At the time, Canada coach Jesse Marsch calmed fans by revealing that an MRI scan showed that Davies' injury was "healing incredibly well, almost completely."

The technical committee is betting on patience to have the star at 100% for the remainder of the tournament. To ensure the full-back's presence in the final 26-man squad, Marsch opted to cut defenders Ralph Priso and Zorhan Bassong.

The ordeal of injuries since 2025
The concern about the captain's physical form is well-founded. Davies tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee while playing for the Canadian national team in March 2025 and, since then, has not worn his country's shirt.

Although he returned to the pitch for Bayern Munich in December last year, the player suffered a series of three muscle injuries to his left thigh, the most recent of which was on May 6th.

See the ranking of the most valuable squads of the World Cup

Source: CNN