DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Canada coach John Herdman spoke of the joys that striker Alphonso Davies felt arriving this week in Doha — Canada’s first look within the World Cup in 36 years.“He’s actually excited,” Herdman mentioned Saturday with Canada opening subsequent week in opposition to Belgium. “Who wouldn’t be while you see an 80-foot poster of your self when you’re driving into your lodge.”However among the thrill is already gone for Davies and Canada. The poster may even be false promoting if Davies can’t take the sector.Bayern Munich’s rising star and Canada’s finest participant could not have the ability to play in opposition to Belgium, nursing a hamstring harm that has saved him out of latest World Cup warmups.Herdman mentioned Davies was “nonetheless constructing towards high pace. However he hasn’t hit that high pace but.”“When you could have hamstring accidents, there’s all the time the important thing second,” Herdman added. “That’s when the hamstring is pushed, pushed to its limits.”Herdman didn’t say it flat out, however hinted that he’s leaning towards maintaining him out in opposition to Belgium, hoping he heals for matches in opposition to Morocco and Croatia in Group F.The highest two groups in every of the eight teams advance to the knockout spherical of 16.Herdman mentioned Belgium was in all probability the very best crew that Canada has confronted since taking part in Brazil greater than a decade in the past.“We’ve obtained to get this one proper as a result of it may very well be an extended match for Canada,” Herdman mentioned, which means Canada may shock and survive the group stage. “And that’s the very last thing I would like is for Alphonso to overlook this.”Having Davies injured is unhealthy sufficient. However two different high Canadian gamers are additionally questionable with accidents: playmaking midfielder Stephen Eustaquio and No. 1 goalkeeper Milan Borjan.Some would say they’re Canada’s high three gamers. Eustaquio has an unspecified harm, and Borjan complained of belly ache in Canada’s 2-1 victory over Japan on Thursday in a pleasant in Dubai. Borjan was held out of coaching on Saturday.“That’s the lifetime of a coach,” Herdman mentioned. “I imply, it’s bleak on one aspect but it surely’s alternative on the opposite.”That is nothing new for the Canadians, who completed first in qualifying from the CONCACAF area regardless of repeated accidents to high gamers. Regardless of all of it, Canada beat Mexico 2-1 on house soil, and drew 1-1 in Mexico Metropolis’s treacherous Aztec stadium. Canada additionally defeated the USA 2-0 and residential in qualifying, and drew 1-1 in Nashville.“We performed a number of video games with out Alphonso Davies throughout qualifying and we did rather well,” Canada midfielder Samuel Piette mentioned. “We don’t need to miss these guys. We would like these guys on the pitch. However on the similar time, it’s who’s able to reply the decision.”Piette repeated what Herdman and different gamers have talked about — the little chip that Canadian gamers have on the their shoulders.“We need to shock the world and present that Canada is a severe soccer nation, and a severe crew,” Piette mentioned. “And hopefully we begin on the best foot in opposition to Belgium.”___