The Canadian men’s national team is closing in on a crucial roster decision: the final 26-man World Cup squad will be announced Friday. Training in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been intended to simulate tournament pressure, but a string of fitness concerns — especially in the back line — has made the staff weigh options beyond the names on the preliminary list.
Captain Alphonso Davies remains in Munich undergoing treatment for a hamstring injury and appears unlikely to be fit for Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12. That absence has forced coach Jesse Marsch and his staff to consider multiple contingency plans.
Left-back dilemma and possible personnel shifts
With Davies sidelined, the natural assumption would be that Richie Laryea steps back into the left-back slot. Laryea spent 15 months filling the role while Davies was out and has earned strong marks for his attacking full-back play. However, Laryea is currently managing a thigh strain and has not looked entirely himself during sessions, leaving his availability in question.
If Laryea cannot start, Marsch faces two broad approaches. One option is to add a specialist: either Zorhan Bassong, who currently plays left back for Sporting Kansas City, or Ralph Priso, who has been rehearsing the position in training. But selecting a defender in their place would likely require sacrificing a forward or attacking midfielder, a trade-off Marsch may be reluctant to make given Canada’s emphasis on attacking depth.
Using right-backs on the left
The alternative is a positional adjustment: moving one of the right-backs, Alistair Johnston or Niko Sigur, across to the left. Neither is a natural left-sided specialist, but both have prior experience filling the opposite flank and have earned starting minutes through quality service and defensive reliability. Johnston is the likeliest candidate to shift, while Sigur points to his club role at Hajduk Split — where he alternates between defence and midfield — as evidence of his adaptability.
Positional flexibility has become a theme in this camp; as winger Tajon Buchanan put it, players frequently toggle roles between club and country, so switching sides is manageable. This willingness to adapt gives Marsch more tactical latitude as he finalizes his selections.
Training intensity, weather and player management
Marsch deliberately chose Charlotte to push players through heat and physical demands similar to those they might face in tournament conditions. The environment has exposed limits: a lightning interruption delayed one session, and a high-heat practice left multiple players visibly affected by the conditions.
Defender Nathan Saliba was escorted off with a mild case of heat stroke during a harder session, though he returned to full training the next day. Forward Liam Millar was also flagged and given a monitored day. Millar had played in a club Championship playoff recently, and the lighter workload is as much about load management as it is about recovery from the Charlotte session.
Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair continues to compete for the starting role as Canada finalizes its roster, and training intensity has been part of the coaching staff’s evaluation criteria for all positions.
Recovery and concussion protocols
One positive update came in defence: 20-year-old Luc de Fougerolles cleared his final concussion protocols after a head injury with his Belgian club and resumed full practice duties. He reported some dizziness after the trans-Atlantic flight to camp but has settled into the training rhythm after rest and lighter sessions. When asked about heading the ball again in practice — a key confidence metric after a concussion — he responded with cautious optimism.
Who’s on the bubble and potential cuts
Coach Marsch must trim the squad by six players before the Friday announcement. The names most frequently mentioned as at risk include forward Jacen Russell-Rowe, midfielders Jayden Nelson and Jacob Shaffelburg, and defenders Zorhan Bassong, Ralph Priso and Jamie Knight-Lebel. Among these, Shaffelburg — dubbed the “Maritime Messi” for his slick dribbling and attacking threat — represents the most high-profile omission should he fail to make the final cut.
Shaffelburg has been hampered by a recent muscle injury at LAFC and has not taken part in Charlotte drills; he was seen leaving the team bus with visible discomfort and trained separately on an empty field while teammates worked together. Time, more than talent, appears to be the limiting factor for his selection.
As the clock winds down to the roster reveal, Marsch and his staff must balance fitness concerns, positional versatility and the desire to preserve attacking options. The choices they make over the next few days will define Canada’s tactical shape for the opening match and set the tone for the home World Cup campaign.
