Bayern Munich's already crowded treatment room may have another patient in Alphonso Davies. The German champions fear another muscle injury.
Five minutes into Canada's 3-2 CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final first leg against Guatemala, Davies suffered an injury that has yet to be specified and had to come off.
Davies slipped awkwardly while tracking back inside his own penalty area as the Central Americans attacked. He got up to try to block the ensuing shot, then sat down on the pitch and signalled that he could not continue. Walking to the bench, he shook his head in visible frustration.
After the match, Canada assistant coach Mauro Biello said Davies had suffered a "lower-body injury". Further examinations should provide a more precise diagnosis. "We were all really excited to see Phonzie again, and for him to go off so early was really hard for us," said team-mate and goalscorer Tani Oluwaseyi.
Bayern already have a long injury list, particularly in attack, with Ismael Saibari, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Luis Diaz all out. Saibari (a torn syndesmosis ligament) and Gnabry (a muscle injury) are unlikely to play again this year. Musiala and Diaz have at least partly resumed team training and are expected to return after the international break.
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Another lengthy absence would be particularly bitter for the 26-year-old. Since tearing his cruciate ligament while on international duty in March 2025, the left-back has repeatedly struggled with subsequent muscle injuries, particularly last season.
According to kicker, Davies will travel back to Munich on Saturday for an examination.
Was Alphonso Davies already carrying an injury at Bayern Munich?
Another muscle injury in the Champions League semi-final second leg against PSG cost Davies almost the entire World Cup on home soil. The Canada captain made only a brief appearance in the round of 32. With his injured thigh still causing problems, Davies decided against playing again rather than risk an even more serious injury, mindful also of the following season at Bayern.
This season, Davies had looked stable and been in good form, to the relief of Bayern's decision-makers. At times, he had even been ahead of Nathaniel Brown in the contest for the left-back position, before impressively deputising for the injured Diaz on the left wing.
Before the away match against Mainz 05, Vincent Kompany's deputy suggested Davies had recently been carrying an injury. "We have a few lads who could do with a rest," Danks explained a week ago, explicitly naming Davies, who was not yet ready to play almost the full match twice in succession.
Davies consequently came on only after nearly 70 minutes of the champions' 2-1 win over the side from Rheinhessen. He has now suffered another setback while on Canada duty.
Against Guatemala, Davies made his first start since tearing his cruciate ligament and meniscus in 2025. After that serious injury, Munich made strong accusations against the Canadian federation because the extent of Davies' injury was not established until after his return.
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