Davies' agent softens stance after post-injury rant against Canada Soccer

Alphonso Davies' agent expressed "respect" for Jesse Marsch on Thursday after initially claiming the Canada men's team head coach "pressured" his client to start a match despite concerns over his fitness.

"Canada Soccer needs to do a better job managing these players," agent Nedal Huoseh surmised Wednesday after Davies was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee. The left-back lasted just 12 minutes of Sunday's CONCACAF Nations League third-place game against the United States before being forced off with the issue.

Huoseh has since walked back his comments after discussions with the men's team boss.

"Over the past 24 hours, I spoke with Jesse Marsch on several occasions," Huoseh wrote on X. "I have a lot of respect for him as a coach. We had positive and productive discussions and laid down the groundwork to ensure we are all aligned and working together to continue to protect the best interests of players.

"Moving forward, everyone involved is focused on prioritizing Phonzie's recovery."

Bayern Munich estimated a layoff of "several months" for Davies, ruling him out for the remainder of the European club season. He's also unlikely to appear at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States. The 24-year-old wasn't expected to represent Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup due to his commitments in the Club World Cup.

As the current captain and a standout player of the Canadian men's team, Davies is expected to assume an important role for his country as it co-hosts the World Cup in 2026.

Canada recovered from Davies' enforced substitution to beat the United States 2-1 in Sunday's third-place match, thanks to goals from Tani Oluwaseyi and Jonathan David.