Alphonso Davies has returned to training with Bayern Munich following his injury sustained in Canada’s World Cup qualifying draw with the United States.
The 20-year-old put in a stellar performance as John Herdman’s side came from 1-0 down to draw 1-1 with their North American rivals on Sunday night, providing the assist for Cyle Larin’s equaliser.
Just 15 minutes later, Davies was withdrawn after going down holding his left knee. Though they didn’t reveal any details about the injury, Canada Soccer confirmed Davies had withdrawn from the squad, missing their subsequent 3-0 win over El Salvador. Instead, the former Vancouver Whitecaps man returned to Bavaria to continue his recovery.
The reigning Bundesliga champions face RB Leipzig on Saturday but any fears over Davies being out long-term have been put to rest. In fact, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has revealed the club expect him to be available for selection this weekend.
“He took a knock on his knee. He’s in good shape, feels well and trained today. We expect him to be available on Saturday,” he said.
Continuing his rise as one of the world’s most promising young talents, Davies has started all three of Bayern’s Bundesliga games this season, most recently providing an assist in their 5-0 thrashing of Hertha Berlin prior to the international break.
In hindsight, Davies’ withdrawal from the squad is likely to be a blessing in disguise for Bayern. The likes of Lille’ Jonathan David and Larin of Besiktas were in action during the early hours of Thursday morning as the Canucks put El Salvador to the sword and continued their unbeaten start to World Cup qualifying.
They will now both face a lengthy flight back to Europe before playing this weekend, while Davies should go into the Leipzig game well rested.