Bayern Munich says star fullback Alphonso Davies is at least three weeks away from returning, a prognosis that would rule him out of Canada’s final three World Cup qualifying matches.
The 21-year-old from Edmonton has been sidelined since early January due to symptoms of myocarditis, a mild heart condition, following a bout of COVID.
“The best case scenario for Phonzy is that his heart muscle inflammation is gone. However, if everything goes very, very well, he will miss three, maybe four weeks, because he is only allowed to undertake very moderate efforts the first week,” Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann said through an interpreter Saturday.
“Next week on Friday we have to do another MRI scan to check how he’s doing. The fluid from the pericardium is gone, everything looks good. We’re pleased and very happy with how it’s turned out and hope he finds his feet again quickly.”
Canada, which tops the eight-team final round-robin in CONCACAF at 7-0-4, is on the verge of qualifying for Qatar 2022. John Herdman’s team plays at Costa Rica on March 24 before hosting Jamaica on March 27 in Toronto and finishing off March 30 in Panama.
The illness has meant Davies has not played for Canada since a pair of World Cup qualifying wins in November in Edmonton.
WATCH | Davies reacts to Canada’s goals against Honduras on Twitch:
Alphonso Davies wasn’t on the pitch Thursday against Honduras, but he still gave Canada something to watch, with his fun reactions to both of Canada’s goals in their 2-0 win. 0:29
Nagelsmann had said earlier in the week it was “looking good” that Davies would be back for Champions League quarterfinals, slated for April 5-6 and April 12-13.
Bayern said Jan. 5 that Davies had joined a lengthy list of players who had tested positive for COVID, adding the speedy fullback was well and self-isolating at home.
Davies was back training a week later, but his return was put on hold with Bayern reporting Jan. 14 that tests showed the Canadian was suffering from signs of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. It is a mild, temporary condition in the vast majority of cases, according to experts.
Davies’ myocarditis was detected in the follow-up examination that all players who have had COVID undergo.