Alphonso Davies was named to Canada’s World Cup squad although its too soon to tell whether he’ll be ready for the team’s opener because of a hamstring injury.
The defender, who plays for Bayern Munich, was injured earlier this month in the loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.
Davies (No. 30 in our FIFA World Cup Rank of Top 100 Players) is Canada’s captain and among the most prominent players named to the team, along with Juventus forward Jonathan David, Southampton forward Cyle Larin and Villarreal midfielder Tajon Buchanan.
Coach Jesse Marsch named nine defenders, 10 midfielders, four forwards and three goalkeepers to the 26-player roster for the World Cup, which opens on June 11.
Marsch included Davies on the team’s latest 32-player training camp roster earlier this week, but he did not immediately join the team, instead remaining in Germany to continue his recovery.
The team trained this past week in Charlotte, North Carolina, ahead of a pair of preparation matches against Uzbekistan on Monday in Edmonton and against Ireland on June 5 in Montreal.
Jonathan David will star in the striker role for Canada at the World Cup. (Photo by Indrawan Kumala/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Canada is co-hosting the World Cup with the United States and Mexico. The Canadians are in Group B along with Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which eliminated Italy in the European playoffs.
The Canadians will have all three of their group-stage matches on home soil. Canada opens against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto.
Canada has been to the World Cup twice before, in Mexico 1986 and 2022, but the team has never advanced past the group stage. The team finished at the bottom of its group in Qatar four years ago, but Davies scored the nation’s first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Other players coming off injuries with their club teams included forward Promise David, who just had hip surgery for a ruptured tendon in February, and defender Moise Bombito, who has not played for the national team since breaking his leg in a 2-2 draw with Monaco in October.
Midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg also made the roster although he also injured his hamstring earlier this month.
Marsch has not named a starter between goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Dayne St. Clair. Both will play in the upcoming friendlies before Marsch makes a decision.
“We know what’s coming in terms of a decision and we’re both mature enough to understand our role for the team, whatever the decision is,” Crépeau said on the Canadian television broadcast announcing the squad. “We understand that we’ll be here for one another and for the team on and off the field.”
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Canadian Squad:
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City), Owen Goodman (Barnsley), Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami).
Defenders: Moïse Bombito (Nice), Derek Cornelius (Rangers), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Luc de Fougerolles (Dender EH), Alistair Johnston (Celtic), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough), Richie Laryea (Toronto), Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed (Norwich City), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal), Mathieu Choiniere (LAFC), Stephen Eustaquio (LAFC), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Ismael Kone (Sassuolo), Liam Millar (Hull City), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto), Nathan-Dylan Saliba (Anderlecht), Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC).
Forwards: Jonathan David (Juventus), Promise David (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Cyle Larin (Southampton), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal)
Reporting by The Associated Press.