Jesse Marsch announced Canada's Homecoming Roster for the three upcoming friendlies in the expanded September-October window. Given injuries and other personal circumstances, many regulars are missing. However, the post-World Cup period is always a time for renewal, with new faces introduced to national team squads worldwide. With Canada's expanding player pool, the men's programme is no exception to this trend.
The CanMNT remains beset by injuries, which explains the absences of Ismaël Koné, Moïse Bombito, Ali Ahmed, Alistair Johnston, and Marcelo Flores. Team captain Alphonso Davies is also missing, as the recently married man is taking a delayed honeymoon following his post-World Cup wedding. Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau is taking time away to attend to family matters following the recent passing of his father.
Two long-time veterans of the Canadian programme make their return to the team: Junior Hoilett and Samuel Piette, as each player will be honoured for their long service. Junior Hoilett of Brampton, Ontario, will have a special commemoration as he makes his 70th and final cap on Saturday, 26 September, at BMO Field, while Samuel Piette will have his celebration and his 70th and final cap on Saturday, 3 October, at Stade Saputo.
Two players making their senior camp debuts are centre-backs Richard Chukwu and Jovan Ivanišević. The 18-year-old Chukwu is a highly touted prospect in the Toronto FC system who made a cameo appearance in his first senior professional match earlier this season. The teenager has been deployed as a left back this season, and Marsch indicated he will try him in that role. Ivanišević is a 21-year-old currently playing for FK Sarajevo in the Bosnian top flight on loan from Croatian parent club Istra 1961.
With three matches — Chile in Toronto, Peru in Montréal, and the United States in Minnesota — it is likely that all three rostered keepers will get a game. This would mean James Pantemis and Owen Goodman will earn their official senior team debuts. Pantemis kept the clean sheet in January's training match against Guatemala, but that game was not an official match per FIFA regulations. Expect Goodman to get the nod in Toronto, Pantemis in his hometown Montréal, and Dayne St. Clair closing out the window in Saint Paul, where he starred for Minnesota United between 2019 and 2025.
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Jeevan Badwal is another player expected to earn his first official cap. The talented 20-year-old is having a good season for his club and is looking to build on his January camp experience. His Vancouver teammate Ralph Priso also returns to the squad after earning his first caps earlier this year and narrowly missing out on the World Cup.
Up front, Canada have incumbents Cyle Larin and Jonathan David, but expect the attacking load to be shared generously with Promise David, Tani Oluwaseyi, Daniel Jebbison, and Jacen Russell-Rowe. The latter two return to the squad after missing out on the World Cup in the summer. Competition in the striker space is expected to be fierce with so many attacking talents available to Jesse Marsch.
Defensively, the roster has just two full backs with any serious experience called into the squad. This raises the question of whether Jesse Marsch might experiment with a tactical formation change this window. Many fans and pundits have called for Canada to try three central midfielders for some time, and the full-back numbers might suggest a concurrent switch to three centre-backs. With three games this window, testing these ideas out — even if just as a mid-game adjustment — would be a welcome trial.
Overall, Canada have a lot of players in good club form coming into camp, such as Larin, Liam Millar, Tajon Buchanan, and Nathan Saliba. On the other hand, Marsch has already announced in his post-reveal press conference that Alfie Jones has withdrawn from the camp due to injury. Jones was not in Middlesbrough FC's match-day squad today. A replacement has not yet been announced. Despite the injuries and other absences, Canada's talent pool should mean the team does not miss a beat this window.
All games will be televised on OneSoccer, TSN, and RDS.
