VANCOUVER, B.C. – Alphonso Davies has been on a roller coaster ride of emotions over the last couple of days, and it's taken its toll on the young Canadian winger.
On Sunday, Davies was on a high after scoring his first goal as a Bayern Munich player in his new side's 6-0 win over Mainz in Bundesliga action. His joy was on show for all to see, as he got that particular monkey off his back early in only his fifth appearances for the German giants.
In the aftermath, though, the 18-year old felt something tweak and the undisclosed injury ruled the Vancouver Whitecaps Homegrown product out of Canada's final Concacaf Nations League qualifier, vs. French Guiana at BC Place on Sunday.
The match was to be a homecoming for Davies, his first game returning to Vancouver after his big money move in January. It was sure to be a special occasion for the player and supporters alike, and Canadian head coach John Herdman says his absence has left him distraught.
"The kid was devastated," Herdman told reporters at Canada's training session on Tuesday evening. "As a coach you're always upset, but you can look down this roster and there's some really good players to step through. But I was just so gutted for him. He was so excited to come back.
"He had some tears on the phone. He actually couldn't finish his sentences. Someone else picked the phone off him at one point. You feel for him because this meant a lot to him. There's a glimmer of hope there, but it's only a glimmer at this point."
With so much marketing around the match focusing on Davies' return to BC Place, that glimmer of hope Herdman is talking about appears to be more around Davies making an off-field appearance at the game, more than an on-field one. Even that is up in the air as things currently stand, though, with the Canadian Soccer Association still in discussions with Bayern.
"We'll let you know probably on Wednesday, Thursday," Herdman revealed. "By Thursday's training we'll have absolute clarity. I think Bayern are going to let him come back to Vancouver. Whether that's to play, we'll let the fans know on Thursday.
"I'm going to keep saying this, the kid is absolutely gutted. So if we can get him across here, even for the fans to be able to interact with him, that will be important."
Davies’ absence is undoubtedly a big blow for Canada, who are seeking to lock down their appearance at this year’s Gold Cup and move into Nations League Group A with a victory on Sunday.
But Herdman is keen to stress that this Canadian team is certainly about more than just one player.
"You can never rely every game on your best players," Herdman said. "It's an opportunity for people to step up as this door opens for somebody else, and I think we've got the talent here for someone to really step through and start to show Canada that there's more to this team than Alphonso Davies. There's a lot of good players. If one youngster drops out, another youngster can step forward."
