Injured Canada captain Alphonso Davies rejoins team but it's not clear when he'll play

Canada defender Alphonso Davies during the first half of an international friendly soccer game against the United States, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Alphonso Davies has joined the Canadian national team as it prepares for the World Cup, although he’s not quite ready to play.

The left back injured a hamstring last month while playing for Bayern Munich in 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain that knocked the German club out the Champions League semifinals.

On Monday, Davies was on the sideline when Canada beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in a rainy World Cup tuneup in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. The Canadian captain ran laps on the field before the game.

“It feels nice to get back on the pitch and do some running. I’m happy to be home, I’m happy to be with the boys and support them, whether it’s just on or off the pitch,” said Davies, who joined the squad on Sunday.

Davies, who has 15 goals in 58 games for Canada, was named Friday to its 26-player squad for the World Cup. He would not speculate about when he might be able to play. Canada opens the World Cup on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We just have to see how everything goes over the next couple days,” Davies said. “I’ll just continue my rehab, my progression, and see how I’m feeling, day by day, step by step.”

Davies has not played for Canada since March 2025, when he tore an ACL in the CONCACAF Nations League finals.

“It was tough. I mean, the last year was obviously an up-and-down moment for me, with the ACL that happened, with the low muscle injuries here and there, but at the end of the day I think I just have to keep my head down, keep working, can’t let that affect me,” he said. “Obviously, it was tough mentally and physically, but I’m feeling good now, and hoping to recover as quickly as possible.”

Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Davies should not feel pressured to return too soon.

“What we don’t want to do is put him in a situation to suffer again and to be vulnerable again. You can imagine that he wants to build up his body and trust his body in all ways, so that he can go out and play football and do the things he loves,” Marsch said. “So we’re gonna make sure that as a staff that we do a good job of really looking at him every single day, monitoring every single day, and putting him in position to succeed, and I’m sure we will.”

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press