Canada's World Cup preparations have hit a significant setback with confirmation that forward Promise David will undergo surgery Friday to repair a ruptured tendon in his hip, casting serious doubt over his availability for the summer tournament.

The 23-year-old Philadelphia Union striker suffered the injury during last weekend's match and initial scans revealed damage severe enough to require immediate surgical intervention. While David himself has not ruled out making the World Cup squad, sources close to the situation acknowledge the timeline is extremely tight with less than four months until Canada's opening match.

"Promise David will have surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his hip on Friday," TSN reported, "but the Canadian striker is not ruling himself out of the World Cup." The injury occurred during the second half of Union's fixture when David collided with an opponent and immediately signaled to the bench for medical attention.

The news complicates manager Jesse Marsch's attacking plans significantly. Marsch had envisioned David as a crucial game-changing option off the bench—a dynamic presence capable of altering matches when introduced late against tiring defenses. That tactical flexibility now appears threatened just as Canada enters the final preparation phase.

Canada is already managing multiple injury concerns across the squad. Star left-back Alphonso Davies recently suffered a muscle injury while playing for Bayern Munich, though manager Vincent Kompany offered reassurance that "it doesn't look so bad" and the issue would only sideline Davies for a few weeks. Midfielder Liam Millar has also battled injuries this season, returning from an ACL tear in September only to suffer a hamstring problem that kept him out for a month.

For co-hosts Canada, who automatically qualified as tournament organizers, the mounting injury list raises questions about squad depth heading into their first World Cup appearance since 1986. David's potential absence would remove one of the team's most promising young attacking talents from Marsch's selection considerations.

The forward's recovery timeline will be closely monitored over the coming weeks. With Canada's next international window in March approaching, Marsch faces an urgent decision about how to fill the potential gap in his attacking rotation—and whether to gamble on David's fitness returning in time for the tournament proper. The surgery results and subsequent rehabilitation progress will determine if Canada's World Cup journey includes one of its brightest emerging stars.