Canada will announce its World Cup roster on Sunday, 10 days before opening play in Qatar against No. 2 Belgium. Coach John Herdman can name up to 26 players.
The roster limit was 23 at past tournaments. In June, FIFA announced that final rosters have been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26 "given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments." Herdman has already had injury headaches with goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (broken leg) and defender Scott Kennedy (shoulder) ruled out of the tournament in recent days.
There was another scare on the weekend when Alphonso Daves limped off with a hamstring injury but Bayern Munich says the 22-year-old from Edmonton should be ready for the World Cup.
Clubs have to release players Nov. 14 for the tournament, which runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 18. Herdman is currently holding a camp in Bahrain for out-of-season players with a game against Bahrain on Thursday.