Canada captain Alphonso Davies will be available to play on Thursday against Qatar after he missed his team’s World Cup opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, coach Jesse Marsch said.
The left back was injured last month while playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. In an open practice earlier this week, Davies was limited in training and was still in the return-to-play protocol.
“He’s been in training this week, and he’ll be available tomorrow, and we’ll see how the match goes and then make a decision on how we would choose to use him,” Marsch said Wednesday evening.
Davies has not played for Canada since March 2025, when he tore an ACL in the CONCACAF Nations League finals. He has 15 goals in 58 international appearances.
Read more:2026 World Cup: Patrick Mahomes, Jay Z headline celebrities
“We’ve worked really well through this, and Alphonso is looking really good,” Marsch said.
“So it’s just a matter of, OK, what kind of game is it, what kind of moment is it, and how do we feel Alphonso can contribute right now? But he’s ready, he’ll be available.”
Canada opened the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto. Late substitute Cyle Larin scored the equalizer in the 78th minute.
Read more:Canada’s Alphonso Davies yet to return to full training ahead of Qatar World Cup clash
Qatar pulled off a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday in Santa Clara, California. Boualem Khoukhi scored for Qatar in stoppage time for the nation’s first-ever World Cup point.
All four teams in Group B had one point heading into their second matches.
