Alphonso Davies cleared to face Qatar in World Cup

Canada captain Alphonso Davies has been declared fit to play in Thursday's World Cup Group F match against Qatar, providing a major boost to John Herdman's side. The Bayern Munich left-back missed Canada's tournament opener against Belgium while recovering from a hamstring injury sustained earlier this month.

Davies, 22, trained fully with the squad on Tuesday and has been cleared for selection. His availability comes as Canada seek their first ever World Cup points after a narrow 1-0 loss to Belgium, where they created several chances but failed to score.

Davies returns after injury layoff

The Canadian star initially picked up the hamstring problem while playing for Bayern Munich earlier in November, raising doubts over his participation in the tournament. Head coach John Herdman had described Davies as 'touch and go' for the Belgium match before ultimately ruling him out.

• Davies missed Canada's World Cup opener against Belgium.
• He suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Bayern Munich in November.
• The left-back returned to full training on Tuesday.
• Davies has scored 12 goals in 34 international appearances.

Canada face an elimination threat if they fail to beat Qatar on Thursday. The tournament hosts lost 3-1 to Senegal in their opening match, setting up a crucial encounter at Al Thumama Stadium. Davies' pace and creativity will be key as Canada look to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

After Thursday's match, Canada conclude their group stage against Morocco on December 1. With Belgium likely to top the group, every point is vital for Herdman's team to advance to the round of 16.