Davies to miss Canada’s second leg against Guatemala

Canada captain Alphonso Davies is set to miss Monday’s second leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Guatemala with a lower-body injury, Canada Soccer said Saturday.

A Canada Soccer spokesperson said Davies travelled with the men’s senior team to Toronto on Saturday and will undergo further assessment. The spokesperson said he is scheduled to return to Munich, Germany, on Sunday, The Canadian Press reported.

Davies went down in the fifth minute of Canada’s 3-2 win in the first leg on Friday in Guatemala City. He slipped inside Canada’s 18-yard box, got up and tried to block a shot before signalling to the bench. Midfielder Ralph Priso replaced him, and Canada went on to lead 3-0 at halftime on goals from Tani Oluwaseyi, Liam Millar and Jonathan David.

Assistant coach Mauro Biello said after the game that the injury was being described as lower-body and that the medical staff would assess Davies over the next couple of days. Head coach Jesse Marsch said Davies had been at 100 per cent in training this week. We reported the injury and the result in our first-leg story.

Canada leads the tie 3-2 on aggregate heading into the second leg at BMO Field in Toronto. The aggregate winner advances to the Nations League Finals in March and qualifies directly for the 2027 Gold Cup, according to Concacaf.

Davies, who plays for Bayern Munich, has made 15 appearances for the German club this season, with three goals and three assists, according to The Canadian Press. He missed most of this year’s FIFA World Cup with a hamstring injury, and was away on his honeymoon for Canada’s fall friendlies against Chile, Peru and the United States.

His absence adds to a long list for Marsch’s side. Midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Jacob Shaffelburg were ruled out earlier this week, as we reported in our match preview, joining sidelined regulars Stephen Eustaquio, Cyle Larin, Derek Cornelius, Alfie Jones and Alistair Johnston. The squad Canada named for the two games is covered in our squad story.

CBC Sports also reported that Canada Soccer confirmed Davies would be assessed further. Canada Soccer has not said how long he could be out beyond Monday’s game.

Via The Canadian Press and CBC Sports.

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