Alphonso Davies to miss upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers due to myocarditis
Posted January 14, 2022 5:32 am.
Last Updated January 15, 2022 1:19 pm.
Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers due to mild myocarditis developed after a bout with COVID-19.
Canada Soccer confirmed the news Friday after Bayern Munich Head Coach Julian Nagelsmann announced the left back was sidelined with evidence of heart muscle inflammation following his coronavirus infection.
Alphonso Davies to miss upcoming 2022 international window for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers#CANMNT https://t.co/J0E7QGvZwf pic.twitter.com/3UviWeT6zs
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) January 14, 2022
Davies will miss a trio of matches in the Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, set to take place in the 10-day FIFA international window from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2.
The first of those three matches will take place on Jan. 27 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras followed by a home game on Jan. 30 in Hamilton, Ontario. Canada then has an away match in San Salvador on Feb. 2.
Davies will be out of action for at least “the coming weeks” after the inflammation was detected in a follow-up examination after his return to training this week, Nagelsmann said. The coach described the inflammation as “mild” and “not so dramatic,” citing the results of an ultrasound examination.
“Despite that, it needs to heal and that will definitely take a certain amount of time,” Nagelsmann said.
Canada and Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies has suffered mild myocarditis after contracting COVID-19, & Bayern says he’ll be out for “weeks.” You’ve got to think he won’t be available for Canada’s World Cup qualifying matches this month, but that’s unconfirmed. #CanMNT #COVID19 https://t.co/Ynoc0g9cm5
— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) January 14, 2022
Myocarditis is a mild, temporary condition in the vast majority of cases, according to experts. Health Canada says, while there are many potential causes of myocarditis and pericarditis, they can occur as a complication in people who are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
Bayern said last week that Davies had tested positive and he was back in training on Wednesday. Nagelsmann said Davies would now stop training until further notice to give his body time to recover.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga and plays Cologne on Saturday.
