Canada left nervous as injuries still in play ahead of key game against Switzerland

Stephen Eustaquio was not present in Canada's training.
Stephen Eustaquio was not present in Canada's training.REUTERS/Claudia Greco

The Canadian national soccer team continues to go through the full range of ⁠emotions in the 2026 World Cup.

The team earned its first point in World Cup play when ‌it drew with Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 on home turf in ‌Toronto on June 12. Then on Thursday, the ‌Canadians blistered Qatar 6-0 to control their own destiny ‌in Group B.

But the victory came with some significant ‌costs.

Starting midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a fractured leg against Qatar and will miss the remainder of the tournament. The ‌loss of the 24-year-old star shook up ⁠both players and staff ‌of the squad.

On Sunday, it was revealed that Canada's vice-captain ​Stephen Eustaquio missed training in Vancouver. He was not seen when training began, but was ​expected to rejoin the team later in the day.

Kone's running mate in the midfield, Eustaquio played every ⁠minute versus Qatar ​and wore the captain's armband in both matches.

The 29-year-old, who competes for Los Angeles FC in MLS, did not show any signs of an injury during the ‌match and Canada Soccer did not provide a reason for Eustaquio's absence.

Team captain Alphonso Davies, who has not played while recovering from a hamstring injury, did train and, according to coach Jesse Marsch, will continue to do so leading up to Wednesday's critical match.

"We'll put him through a good training regimen this week and then evaluate how he fits in for ‌Switzerland," Marsch said of Davies, "but he's getting closer ​and closer to 100%, that's for sure."

Should Canada ‌win or tie with the Swiss, they would move in the Round of 32. They are currently ahead of Switzerland with a plus-six goal differential, compared to plus-3 for their counterparts.

Central defender Alfie ⁠Jones will likely miss ⁠his third consecutive ‌game on Wednesday as he recovers from an ankle injury.

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