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With all due respect, Canada’s men’s football team does not boast the most star-studded squad at this year’s World Cup.

However, their one undisputed superstar, Alphonso Davies, faces a significant challenge in his bid to play for his nation on home soil during the tournament.

The Canadian left-back has returned to his homeland following a disrupted campaign with German champions Bayern Munich, raising concerns about how much he will be able to contribute on the pitch.

Davies suffered a cruciate ligament tear in March 2025, which kept him out of action for nine months.

Then, in February, the 25-year-old was sidelined again for a month due to a hamstring injury.

Despite those setbacks, Davies made his comeback in April, featuring for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal. Unfortunately, he picked up another injury in May, just weeks before the World Cup.

Still, Canada manager Jesse Marsch included Davies in his squad, hopeful that the star defender would recover in time to take part in the group stage matches.

Marsch has since confirmed that Davies will not play in Canada’s opening Group B fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.

Nevertheless, the Bayern Munich player has been training with the national squad, while the Canadian medical staff closely monitor his rehabilitation.

Speaking on Thursday, Marsch revealed that Davies underwent an MRI scan and said the player is “healing incredibly well, but not at 100 per cent just yet.”

The expectation now is that Davies could be fit enough to feature in Canada’s second group match, against Qatar, scheduled for Thursday, June 18.

Should he return for that game, it would be a major boost for Canada, who are making their third appearance at a men’s World Cup.

Despite their efforts, Canada are still seeking their first-ever World Cup point, having exited both the 1986 and 2022 tournaments after losing all three of their group matches.