Davies monitored – Alphonso Davies took running steps in Edmonton before Canada’s 2-0 pre-World Cup win over Uzbekistan, but the Bayern Munich captain will not be rushed back. Monitored daily during his hamstring rehabilitation, Davies kept the door open for Canada’s World Cup o
Edmonton felt like a homecoming for Alphonso Davies—running, bright movement, the captain on the pitch before Canada’s pre-World Cup friendly against Uzbekistan at Commonwealth Stadium on Monday.
Davies still wasn’t where he wanted to be emotionally: the hamstring injury that kept him out of training camp in Charlotte. N.C. last week has not gone away. Yet the 25-year-old Bayern Munich left back got some running in before his teammates took on Uzbekistan. using the session as a test he hasn’t been able to do fully for days.
“It feels nice to get back on the pitch and do some running,” Davies said after watching Canada down Uzbekistan 2-0. “I’m happy to be home and I’m happy to be with the boys and support them. Whether it’s on or off the pitch I’m happy to be with the boys and support them.”
Davies met up with the national squad in Edmonton on Sunday night. and how quickly he joins the group on the field remains uncertain. Head coach Jesse Marsch made it clear the plan is careful—rehabilitation first, pressure nowhere. Marsch said Davies is continuing the rehabilitation program set out by his club. and now that he’s with Canada. he’ll be monitored daily.
Marsch also stressed that neither Bayern nor the Canadians want the 25-year-old to feel rushed.
“Obviously when the games get started, he’s going to want to play,” Marsch said. “But what we don’t want to do is put him in a situation to suffer again and be vulnerable again.”
That caution matters because Davies hasn’t only dealt with one setback. He has not played for the Maple Leaf on his chest since March 2025 due to a string of injuries that includes a torn anterior cruciate ligament. leaving real uncertainty hanging over whether he’ll return in time for this summer’s World Cup.
On the international stage, his record still carries the weight of someone Canada can build around. Davies has made 58 appearances for the senior national team, scoring 15 goals and contributing 17 assists. His biggest strike came in December 2022. when he scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal in a group-stage match against Qatar.
The question everyone in the squad now carries is simple: can Davies recover enough to matter at the start of the tournament?
Canada kicks off in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12. When Davies was asked whether he’s holding out hope he’ll be ready for that game, he refused to treat optimism like a promise.
“I can’t really say right now. Obviously I can say yes or no, but it all depends on how the rehab goes,” Davies said. “We just have to see how everything goes over the next couple of days. I just continue my rehab, my progression and see how I’m feeling, day by day, step by step.”
Marsch tried to put that uncertainty into a schedule the team can live with. He said Davies is already part of the group’s motivation, and that everyone wants him to have a chance.
“They all want to give him a chance to play,” the coach said.
Marsch also laid out how the recovery could shape his involvement once Canada begins the tournament.
“We’re all hopeful we can get it done in the group phase but we know that the further we go in this tournament. the more time he’ll have to recover. ” Marsch said. “And what it’s going to be is a progression of a few minutes in the first game. We want to give him a chance to be a big player in this tournament for us. And so the deeper that we go, the better chance we’ll have at that.”.
Alphonso Davies Canada World Cup Uzbekistan pre-World Cup friendly Jesse Marsch Bayern Munich Edmonton hamstring rehabilitation Bosnia-Herzegovina