Canada coach Jesse Marsch says Alphonso Davies was not ready to play in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Switzerland despite indicating a day earlier that the captain was expected to return from a hamstring injury.
Davies dressed but did not get into the game at BC Place.
Marsch acknowledged after the match that he used the Canada captain as a decoy.
The 25-year-old left back has not played since injuring his left hamstring while with Bayern Munich in early May.
Canada advanced to the World Cup knockout round despite the loss by finishing second in Group B.
The Canadians will face the runner-up from Group A in Los Angeles on Sunday.