England's Championship weekend could prove a springboard for key members of Canada's World Cup squad

Saturday’s end of the Championship season will be pivotal for several members of Canada’s men’s soccer team, less a finish than a launch into this summer’s World Cup and, potentially, the Premier League.

The English second division has become arguably the most fertile proving ground for Canadian talent. Three national team players remain in the hunt for promotion, with Southampton’s Cyle Larin and Middlesbrough’s Alfie Jones guaranteed at least a place in the four-team playoff that will decide the third and final upraised side.

Hull’s Liam Millar might also join them, if he and his team can beat Norwich, where another Canadian, Ali Ahmed, could play a deciding role.

Coventry has already claimed the Championship title and the first of two automatic promotion berths. Middlesbrough might yet take the second with a win over Wrexham (famously co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds) coupled with a loss from Ipswich and a loss or draw for Millwall.

Unfortunately, Jones won’t feature. He remains sidelined after his longer-than-expected recovery from ankle surgery in January. Only a playoff might give him a slim chance to return to league action.

“You never want to say 100 per cent, but I think it will be difficult for him to participate in the rest of the season,” Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg said last week.

That also leaves Jones questionable for the World Cup, which begins for Canada on June 12 with its crucial opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.

The towering, English-born centre back entered the national frame in November, when he was pressed into surprise service thanks to a thin claim to Canadian ancestry through one of his grandmothers and injuries to several defenders.

He proved a robust addition and a