Alphonso Davies made his first appearance in nine months after coming on in Bayern Munich’s Champions League game against Sporting CP on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Canada international had been out of action since March after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while on international duty.
The injury caused considerable tension between his club and country, but after returning to training in November, he replaced Serge Gnabry in the 88th minute of Bayern’s 3-1 home victory over Portuguese side Sporting at the Allianz Arena.
Good to see you, Phonzy 👋😄#UCL pic.twitter.com/lQlfTOYbwd
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 9, 2025
Davies’ injury was a bitter blow for club and player. After a protracted saga and significant doubt as to whether the versatile player would be staying at Bayern, he committed his future by signing a new contract in February 2025, just over a month before suffering the injury that has kept him out since, and prevented him from taking part in the Club World Cup in the summer.
The news of his return will also be significant to Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch, for whom Davies will be a pivotal player at next summer’s World Cup.
Davies return makes Bayern even stronger
Given how well Bayern have played this season, there’s curiosity over what they might be able to achieve with Davies in the side.
Remember, Vincent Kompany has often used right-footed players on the left of his defence — usually Konrad Laimer or Josip Stanisic — and neither offers anything like the balance or the attacking thrust; Davies is the most explosive full-back in the world.
And what of the knock-on effects? Davies is such a difficult player to cope with one-on-one, that his reintegration can’t help but free space for other players down his side of the pitch. Serge Gnabry, in particular, will be delighted at his return.
As will everyone at Bayern. When Davies is fully fit, he will unquestionably make an excellent side even better, making them an even stronger contender in Europe.