There was encouraging news regarding Canada's captain Alphonso Davies on the eve of the team's highly anticipated World Cup opener. The star player has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in early May, but coach Jesse Marsch indicated that Davies is making significant progress in his recovery.
Positive MRI Results
"We did an MRI with him (on Wednesday) and it showed very positive signs that he's healing incredibly well, almost completely," Marsch said on Thursday. "We're getting ready to ramp things up."
The coach noted that Davies has historically shown a strong ability to recover from muscle injuries and has made strides during the team's four days of training in Toronto.
"I think that having his private physio here (for training) has been very helpful and the concentration on his body's needs each day," Marsch said, adding that Bayern Munich, Davies' German club, remains actively involved in his recovery.
Hope for Early Contribution
"So we are really hopeful that over the next days and week that we can accelerate things and give him a chance to contribute here soon," Marsch said.
While Marsch avoided direct statements, he acknowledged that the team's chances for a strong tournament start would have benefited from additional recovery time for Davies. "I wish we had two more weeks, so that Alfonso would really be back and all our guys would have a little bit more underneath them," he said of his injury-affected squad. "But at the same time, man, we are ready."
Davies' absence from Friday's Group B opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina was always expected. The timing of his return to game action remains the key question surrounding the Canadian team.
Opponent's Perspective
Bosnian coach Sergej Barbarez downplayed the advantage of Davies' absence for his underdog team. "I cannot say that this is an advantage for us," Barbarez said through a translator on Thursday. "Not playing (on Friday) it can be a negative for a coach, but it can also be a positive. It can create space for other players."
