Alphonso Davies’ agent says the Canada captain was pressured to start out in opposition to the U.S. on the weekend in a recreation that noticed him go down with a knee damage.
Bayern Munich mentioned Wednesday that Davies shall be sidelined “for a prolonged interval” after present process surgical procedure to restore a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his proper knee.
The damage comes some 15 months earlier than the beginning of the 2026 World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting.
The 24-year-old from Edmonton left Sunday’s 2-1 win over the USA within the CONCACAF Nations League third-place recreation within the twelfth minute favouring his knee. He appeared to fall awkwardly whereas difficult for the ball within the Canadian penalty field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Davies was scheduled to endure surgical procedure Wednesday.
“Alphonso was not one hundred pc after the Mexico recreation (Thursday) and it was deliberate that he was not going to start out in opposition to the usA.,” agent Nick Huoseh mentioned in a press release offered to OneSoccer. “On Saturday night time the expectation was he wouldn’t be within the (beginning) 11. As a captain, I really feel he was pressured to start out the sport by the coach. Alphonso will not be the form of man to say no in these moments. He ended up taking part in and look what occurred.
“Canada Soccer must do a greater job managing these gamers.”
Huoseh mentioned Davies was “down and clearly very upset about this damage.”
Paulo Senra, Canada Soccer’s chief communications and content material officer, disagreed with the agent’s take.
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“We wish to categorical our full assist for our males’s nationwide group captain, Alphonso Davies, as he recovers from this unlucky damage,” Senra mentioned in a short assertion. “Phonzie’s energy and resilience matches his world-class expertise, and all of us look ahead to absolutely supporting him throughout his restoration.
“Canada Soccer’s coaches and skilled medical employees are true professionals and have all the time prioritized participant security and well-being. Something suggesting in any other case is unfaithful.”
Canada coach Jesse Marsch mentioned Monday that the Bayern Munich star fullback was feeling “slightly bit spooked as a result of it was his knee and it moved in a sure approach” when he went down early within the U.S. recreation.
Marsch mentioned Davies had been “nursing slightly little bit of an damage’ and had undergone a health take a look at earlier than the match.
Marsch additionally mentioned if Richie Laryea had been out there — the Toronto FC fullback/wingback has been sidelined by a hamstring damage — he most likely would have began Laryea at left again.
Davies was making his 58th look for Canada.
Bayern, in a social media put up, confirmed Davies had torn his anterior cruciate ligament. On its official web site, it didn’t present a particular timeline for Davies’ return apart from to say he could be unavailable for “a number of months.”
Canada is subsequent in motion in early June on the Canadian Defend event, a four-country competitors in Toronto. Davies was not anticipated to be a part of the CONCACAF Gold Cup that follows later in June given Bayern’s participation within the FIFA Membership World Cup.
There was extra dangerous information from Bayern with phrase that centre again Dayot Upamecano shall be out for “a number of weeks” with an issue in his left knee following his return from taking part in each legs of France’s quarterfinal win over Croatia within the UEFA Nations League.
Upamecano was recognized with free our bodies in his left knee, anticipated to sideline him for a number of weeks.
“In worldwide breaks, there may be sadly all the time a hazard that gamers come again injured, and this time it has hit us particularly exhausting,” Bayern’s board member for sport Max Eberl mentioned Wednesday. “The absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weigh closely on FC Bayern.
“Phonzy will get all of the assist he wants on his highway to restoration. We’ll even be holding an in depth eye on Upa within the coming weeks and anticipate him to be out there once more quickly. We have now a powerful squad and can compensate for these absences. We’ll now develop even nearer collectively. The standard is there to proceed pursuing our massive targets.”
The accidents might imply Bayern depends extra on central defender Kim Min-jae, who returned to coaching Monday after an Achilles tendon damage pressured him to overlook worldwide video games for South Korea. It might additionally imply extra recreation time for Bayern’s fringe gamers like centre again Eric Dier, left again Raphael Guerreiro and versatile defender Hiroki Ito.
Bayern subsequent performs St. Pauli within the Bundesliga on Saturday and faces Inter Milan within the quarterfinals of the Champions League subsequent month.
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