Alphonso Davies is back in the Canadian men's national team setup after head coach Jesse Marsch named the 26-year-old Bayern Munich left back in a 23-player squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals against Guatemala.
"I'm super excited to have him back," Marsch said on a video call Tuesday. "I think the whole team is. I think he's going to add a lot to who we are."
Davies, Canada's captain, played limited minutes in just one game at this summer's World Cup while recovering from a hamstring injury. He then missed the nation's three friendlies in late September and early October for his honeymoon. This season he has made 13 appearances for Bayern Munich, recording three goals and three assists.
"He's in really good shape and form, mentally, physically, psychologically, I think in all ways," Marsch said. "He's really excited to come back and be with the national team. It has been laborious for everyone, including Alphonso, to get himself to this point where he feels like he's back playing his best football. But I think we can all see now that that's the case."
Davies has been playing a more offensive role at Bayern this season as a wingback rather than his usual fullback position, and Marsch said he would like to try the same approach with the national team.
Canada Dealing With Injury Crisis
Marsch's options could be limited by a string of injuries affecting Canada's defense. The squad will be without Marseille centre back Derek Cornelius, Middlesbrough centre back Alfie Jones and Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston. Southampton striker Cyle Larin and Swansea City midfielder Stephen Eustáquio also picked up new injuries this week, ruling out two more key players.
"This is nothing new, unfortunately. We have gotten accustomed to as a staff watching the matches and keeping our fingers crossed," Marsch said. "This has been the case over the last year and a half, probably, dealing with these situations and trying to support the players so that they can get themselves back to form and fitness and everything else."
To fill the gaps, Marsch has called in two 18-year-olds: Toronto FC defender Richard Chukwu and Feyenoord midfielder Kevin Khan. "I think one of the beauties is it gives more opportunities for players to come into the mix and establish themselves within the group," he said. Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau also rejoins the squad after missing the fall friendlies following the death of his father.
Series Format and Stakes
Canada, currently ranked 27th in the world, will travel to face No. 95 Guatemala to open the two-legged quarter-final on Nov. 13, before hosting the second leg at Toronto's BMO Field on Nov. 16. Canada, Mexico, the United States and Panama each earned byes into the quarter-finals as the region's top four teams. Guatemala, which won its qualifying group, will be making its first appearance at this stage of the tournament.
The series winner will advance to the CONCACAF Nations League finals in Los Angeles in March 2027 and qualify for the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The loser will instead enter the Gold Cup preliminary round.
Guatemala Sanctioned Over Qualifier Incidents
Guatemala's final qualifying match, a 1-0 win over Suriname on Oct. 5, turned nasty. CONCACAF said it sanctioned the Guatemalan Football Association for "multiple incidents" during the game, including "discriminatory chants directed at Suriname players by Guatemala supporters, objects thrown onto the field of play, and players' involvement in a post-match confrontation."
Players Jonathan Franco and Carlos Estrada each received three-game suspensions for their roles in the confrontation. Guatemala will also be required to close 25 per cent of its stadium for its next home Nations League match and submit a plan outlining how it will prevent discrimination at future games.
Marsch said he and his staff are preparing the squad for what they could face in Guatemala City. "It's not just about racism, it's about how difficult it is to play in these stadiums and in these environments, and what it means to these teams, and what it means to play away in CONCACAF," he said. "So we'll make sure that in all ways this is a big part of our preparation and that we're ready to go down to Guatemala, a really tough place to play, and make sure that we're ready to deliver a very strong, professional, clear, disciplined performance that can help us set up to be successful in this two-game series."
