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Choosing between club and country is a dilemma professional soccer players have faced from the dawn of organized internationals.

The news Alphonso Davies will not be available to play for Canada when they host French Guiana in Vancouver on Sunday was a tough blow for everyone involved, but it may serve as a prelude on the future international availability of the rising star.

Davies, 18, is in a daily battle for a place with Bayern Munich and if he is not 100 per cent fit, it is unreasonable to expect him to fly halfway around the world for one game with his national team.

But even if Davies had not sustained an injury during his half hour on the field with Bayern, where he scored the final goal in their 6-0 win over Mainz this past Sunday, getting him to fly into Vancouver to play for Canada in a Concacaf Nations League qualifier against the 130th-ranked team in the world is still a big ask.

“I think for many people, it’s hard to understand the trouble that comes into play for that,” said former Canadian national team captain Julian De Guzman, now general manager of Ottawa Fury FC. “First and foremost, it’s a matter of getting the games that you need with your club and being able to get fit.