"I was using him as a decoy" – Canada coach Marsch admits Alphonso Davies "was never going to play" against Switzerland

Ahead of Canada’s final group-stage World Cup clash with Switzerland, head coach Jesse Marsch said Alphonso Davies was in line to return from injury for the match.

However, after Canada’s 1-2 defeat, Marsch admitted he knew the Bayern Munich star would not actually feature and that he was simply trying to mislead the opposition.

“To be honest, Alphonso wasn’t ready yet, so I was using him a little bit as a decoy. However, he will be ready next match,” Marsch said after the game, according to Canadian Soccer Daily.

Pressed further, the 52-year-old added that Davies “was never going to play” against Switzerland.

“I wanted Switzerland to have to think about him. I listened to their press conference, they had like three questions about Alphonso Davies, so they at least had to prepare for that,” he explained.

Davies could finally return for Canada’s round of 32 match against South Africa on Sunday.