Canada lineup vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Predicted XI for World Cup 2026 Group B clash as Alphonso Davies hopes for a miraculous return

The World Cup 2026 campaign will begin with plenty of question marks for Canada as they take on Bosnia-Herzegovina in Group B action on Friday in Toronto.

The Canucks will hope the third time is the charm, having failed to earn a single point in their previous two appearances at the finals.

Choosing 26 players for this tournament was no easy task for manager Jesse Marsch, particularly given the injuries to some key figures in his squad.

Captain Alphonso Davies has been pushing hard to return to the fold, but the man who scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal four years ago is unlikely to feature on Friday as he recovers from a hamstring strain and has not played for the national team all year.

Moise Bombito, who missed most of the last season at Nice due to a left tibia injury, limped off in their friendly versus Uzbekistan and is doubtful for Friday though Marsch is waiting till the bitter end to make a decision on him.

That could leave Luc de Fougerolles with a lot of pressure on his shoulders as the 20-year-old has just 13 caps but is likely to feature alongside Derek Cornelius, who missed plenty of action himself last season through injury.

With so many question marks at the back, Marsch could be relying on Alistair Johnston to lead this team defensively, with the Celtic right-back seemingly recovered from his hamstring issues from the previous campaign.

The team will be missing a key bench player, as Marcelo Flores was ruled out of this competition after rupturing his ACL for Tigres in their CONCACAF Champions Cup defeat against Toluca.

Replacing him will be Jayden Nelson, who grew up in Brampton, Ontario, less than an hour down the road from Toronto.

Jonathan Osorio will hope to draw back into the starting 11 for the first time since their 0-0 draw versus Tunisia on a field that he knows well, having played over a dozen years at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) with his current MLS club Toronto.

Cyle Larin will be keen to show Southampton they made a wise investment in him, with the Championship side signing him to a permanent move earlier this month.

He and Osorio are tied for second in all-time caps for the senior squad at 90, while record goalscorer Jonathan David will likely draw even with Mark Watson for ninth in that department, with the Juventus man currently on 77.

There were questions about who would be the starting goalkeeper for the finals, but that honour will go to Maxime Crepeau over Dayne St. Clair, which will be vindication for the former who missed the 2022 finals because of a broken leg.

Canada possible starting lineup:

Crepeau: Johnston, de Fougerolles, Cornelius, Laryea; Buchanan, Eustaquio, Kone, Millar; David, Larin

> Click here to see how Bosnia-Herzegovina could line up against Canada