The homecoming had a simpler vibe than the departure. Alphonso Davies arrived in his hometown of Edmonton on Sunday night, went through some light running the next morning, and watched Canada dispatch Uzbekistan 2-0 at Commonwealth Stadium from the bench.
The Canadian captain has been dealing with a hamstring issue that kept him away from the team training camp. After the friendly, he spoke to reporters about the state of his recovery. "It feels nice to get back on the pitch and do some running," the 25-year-old Bayern Munich defender said. "I'm happy to be home and I'm happy to be with the boys and support the group. Whether it's on or off the pitch I'm happy to do it."
That is the kind of timeline that turns planning into calendar management.
Recovery Timeline Remains Unclear
Head coach Jesse Marsch said Davies is following the rehabilitation program set up by his club, and Canadian medical staff will assess him daily. The coaching staff is not pushing for a quick return.
"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."
Asked whether he hoped to be ready for Canada's World Cup opener on June 12 against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, Davies kept expectations measured. "I can't really say right now. Obviously I can say yes or no, but it all depends on how the rehab goes. 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."
Captain's Record Stands On Its Own
Davies has earned 58 caps for Canada, scoring 15 goals and adding 17 assists. He scored the nation's first-ever World Cup goal in December 2022 during the group stage against Qatar. A series of injuries has limited his availability since March 2025, raising questions about his readiness for this summer's tournament.
Despite his uncertain status, Marsch said Davies provides motivation for the squad. "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. 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."