Alphonso Davies (25, Bayern Munich) collapsed due to a torn ligament. As a result, his agent lashed out at Jesse Marsch, the head coach of Canada’s national team.

German outlet 'Sport1' reported on the 26th (Korean time) that 'Davies' agent raised serious allegations against the Canadian national team and Marsch. Davies' agent, Nick Huose, criticized that the player’s torn ligament was 100% preventable.

Davies injured his knee during the 3rd and 4th place match between Canada and the United States in the 2024 North and Central America and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Nations League held on the 24th. He started the match, but collapsed due to injury just 12 minutes after the game began.

After the match, Davies was also spotted walking alone, but a detailed examination revealed a torn ligament. The rehabilitation period is expected to be a staggering six months. It is confirmed that he will miss the season.

Bayern announced through the club's website that 'Davies has a torn ligament. Bayern will have to cope without him for a long period after the international break' and added, 'Davies was diagnosed with a torn right knee ligament after returning from the Canadian national team. He is scheduled to undergo surgery today and will not be seen for several months.'

This is a major setback for Bayern. The starting left-back Davies collapsed just after recently re-signing with Bayern. At least it is a relief that the surgery went well.

Davies' future for the next season is uncertain. His contract was set to expire this summer, but he struggled to reach an agreement for a renewal. Bayern successfully retained Davies by offering a renewal bonus of 22 million euros (approximately 34.8 billion won) and a salary of 15 million euros (approximately 23.4 billion won). However, an incident occurred where he was confirmed to miss the season without any time to celebrate.

Max Eberl, Bayern's director, noted that 'Unfortunately, there is always a risk that players will return with injuries during the international break. This time is especially a big blow. The absence of Davies and Upamecano is a significant burden for Bayern.'

He added, 'Davies will receive all the support needed for his return. In addition, we will closely monitor Upamecano over the next few weeks, and we expect him to return soon. But our squad is strong enough to overcome this. Now we will have to cooperate more, as we have the ability to continue pursuing our ambitious goals.'

However, a shocking claim has emerged stating that Davies' torn ligament was an injury that could have been prevented. In fact, he was not in normal condition before the match against the United States. Nonetheless, coach Marsch insisted on using Davies, which led to the incident. Although Marsch was linked with the South Korean national team last year, he is currently in charge of the Canadian national team.

Davies' agent Huose stated, 'I think Coach Marsch should have handled the situation better. The injury could have been avoided 100%. Marsch was a professional player. He must have known that if players stated they were not fit to play, they should not take risks.'

He also expressed anger, saying, 'Davies felt pressure from Coach Marsch as a captain. He is not the kind of person to refuse in those moments. Ultimately, Davies played in the match, and they saw what happened. The health of players should be the top priority. The national team needs to protect players better.'

Philip Kessler, a journalist from Germany's 'TZ,' shared a similar story. He said, 'Davies should not have participated in the match against the United States. I was surprised to see him included in the starting lineup because he said he could not start. According to sources from the Canadian federation, Davies indicated he should only play a few minutes. I said he should not have played at all.'

Meanwhile, Bayern has suffered injuries not only to Davies but also to Dayo Upamecano. He is expected to undergo surgery for left knee arthritis. Initially, it was expected that he could recover in about four to six weeks, but now it is uncertain when he will return.

If Upamecano is out, there are only Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier left as professional center-backs. Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanišić can also play center-back, but they are not specialists in central defense within the back four. Additionally, Ito is likely to take responsibility for left-back in place of Davies.

The problem is that Kim Min-jae is also not in good condition. He has been absent since the 15th due to an Achilles tendon issue in the match against Union Berlin. At that time, Coach Vincent Kompany emphasized, 'The issues with (Kim Min-jae's) Achilles tendon are already known. Now we need to manage him to avoid additional strain.'

However, Kim Min-jae has returned to training sooner than expected. He was spotted in training photos released by Bayern on the 25th. Accordingly, there are expectations that Kim Min-jae could participate in the match against St. Pauli on the 29th, instead of the originally anticipated second week of April.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (prohibited from unauthorized reproduction and redistribution), Marca, ESPN FC, Bayern Munich social media.

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