Teen soccer sensation Alphonso Davies has officially been ruled out of Sunday’s Gold Cup qualifying match against French Guiana at BC Place due to a knee injury.
His club, Bayern Munich, tweeted the news Wednesday, stating Davies suffered a stretched ligament in his right knee during Sunday’s match and has been ordered to rest by the club’s medical department.
Canada’s men’s national team head coach John Herdman told CTV News Tuesday there was a glimmer of hope Davies would still join the team. He says Davies was “devastated” by the injury when they spoke earlier this week.
"I was just gutted for him," Herdman said. "He was so excited to come back. He had some tears on the phone and actually couldn't finish his sentence... You feel for him because this meant a lot to him.”
While Davies is wait-and-see, there is no shortage of talented youth on Canada's roster.
Seven players 21 and under -- including names like Jonathan David and Liam Millar -- have been selected to play for the national team. They are the country's up-and-coming rising stars, and if you don't know their names now, you will in a few years' time.
"You got this sort of Y generation, millennial group who is a lot more confident and seem more equipped to deal with these situations now," Herdman said. "And what I feel is, with the culture we've created, we've flatlined the culture where the veterans don't rule the roost, and the young players have a voice, and if you give them a voice they take ownership."
"When you have other young guys around you, you feel more comfortable," forward Jonathan David said. "It's just easier. You adapt more quickly and just have fun."
Canada’s opponent, French Guiana, won’t be a pushover. It will be a different roster as they've called on all their big name players, with some not having played for their country in four years.
Kickoff is Sunday at 3 p.m. at BC Place.
