Canada will be without their superstar as they look to advance in the Nations League.
Left-back Alphonso Davies has been replaced by Vancouver Whitecaps defender Sam Adekugbe ahead of Canada’s clash against Suriname in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League, Canada Soccer announced Monday.
Canada Soccer says the Bayern Munich star has withdrawn as a “precautionary measure due to physical fatigue.”
He started and played the full 90 in Bayern’s 1-0 win over FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday. He has one assist in nine Bundesliga matches this season and one more helper in four UEFA Champions League games.
The 35th-ranked Canadian men are gathering in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to prepare for a two-game series against No. 136 Suriname. The quarterfinal opens Friday in Paramaribo with the return leg on Nov. 19 at Toronto’s BMO Field.
Davies has been one of the team’s most productive players in Nations League play, scoring six goals and adding two assists in 13 games since 2018. A four-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year, he has won 56 caps for Canada with 16 goals and 17 assists.
The 24-year-old from Edmonton has played in all 11 Canada games to date this year.
Adekugbe, 29, suited up for 16 regular-season games with the Whitecaps this past season. He had one goal and two assists in that time.
He was included in the team sheet for the friendly game against Panama last month but spent the full 90 on the bench. He last laced up for the CANMNT in a 2023 Nations League quarterfinal win over Jamaica.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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