The Alphonso Davies injury fiasco has taken a new turn after Canada national team head coach Jesse Marsch defended his decision to play the Bayern Munich star in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place match against the USA in March.
The left-back tore his ACL in that encounter, and his agent Nedal Huoseh released a statement to say that his player was not fit to play and Bayern backed up these claims by labelling Canada's medical team as extremely negligent.
His injury news made everyone at Bayern furious as the Canadian is a vital cog in Vincent Kompany's setup and has recently extended his contract until 2030. Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen was even reportedly ready to take legal action against the Canadian Football Association for their alleged mismanagement.
Marsch said in a later interview that he had spoken with Bayern's Sporting director, Christoph Freund to lower the temperature of the controversy. He blamed the agent for exaggerating the entire situation.
“I think that some of (Huoseh's) comments were misinterpreted and blown out of proportion. In the end, he was trying to protect Alphonso and support him in the situation,” Marsch told the Athletic.
Despite the controversy, it was a massive blow for the Bavarians in general, as they have struggled defensively since. Kompany's men consistently conceded goals across the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
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Inter Milan also took full advantage of Bayern's leaky defense as they scored twice in the second leg and held the Germans to only a 2-2 draw.
Jesse Marsch clarified his stance on the Alphonso Davies injury row
After the situation had settled down, the Canada national team manager addressed the issue once again, defending his role in the entire injury row. He recently gave an interview to Sky Sports Austria, and there he stressed that there's nothing to discuss.
The former RB Leipzig manager denied the claims of putting pressure on Davies.
"We certainly did not place any pressure on the player. He was fit and ready, so it was unfortunate that the injury occurred," said Marsch.
The 51-year-old also labelled Davies as one of the best players that he has coached.
"I couldn't do anything about it. He's a young player with a great future. Injuries are normal in football. Alphonso is an incredibly strong guy, maybe the strongest I've coached in my life. I believe he'll come back even stronger and be ready for the coming years," he continued.
Davies has been an iconic player for Canada, and the full-back is set to captain Les Rouges in the 2026 World Cup, which Canada will co-host. This will be the third time they will feature in the World Cup after 1986 and 2022.
The 24-year-old is currently out for several months, but he expects to return to full fitness before the World Cup next year.
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