Bosnia-Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez said on Thursday that captain Edin Dzeko will be available for the team's World Cup opener against Canada on Friday in Toronto, after the striker missed matches since mid‑May with a right shoulder injury.
Dzeko, 40, was a full participant in Thursday's training session and returns to a squad preparing to open Group B against the tournament co‑host. The presence of Bosnia's leading scorer — 73 goals in 148 international appearances — reshapes the match-up on paper: Bosnia play in a group with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, and are taking part in only their second World Cup after 2014.
The stakes are concrete. Canada, ranked No. 30, are playing at home as one of the three co‑hosts and are still seeking their first World Cup victory; Bosnia enter the game 64th‑ranked. Barbarez framed Dzeko's return as more than a fitness update, praising the striker's character and long service to the national side and stressing the emotional lift his availability provides.
That shoulder injury dates back to March, when it was suffered during Bosnia's two‑legged European playoff upset of Italy. The injury kept Dzeko out of competitive action since mid‑May, leaving questions about match sharpness that the full training session in Toronto only partly answers.
Barbarez declined to convert the fitness bulletin into a tactical announcement. He said he tries to speak little because words can be redundant, and that players like Dzeko have earned praise for their mentality; he also warned against underestimating Canada, noting the hosts deserve respect. The coach did not specify whether Dzeko will start or how many minutes he might play in the opener.
The practical consequence is immediate for Bosnia's game plan: if Dzeko starts, the team will have its most experienced attacking option on the field from kick‑off; if he is introduced later, Barbarez will be signaling caution about a player returning from a recent layoff. Either choice will alter how Bosnia approach Canada's defense and set pieces, and how the team manages its attacking responsibilities across 90 minutes.
What to watch on Friday is straightforward. Monitor whether Barbarez names Dzeko in the starting XI and how he handles the first half: an early substitution or limited minutes would point to a protective approach, while a full 90 would indicate confidence in the captain's recovery. The selection decision — not the training ground return itself — is the single, decisive unknown between Bosnia and a co‑hosting Canada that will be pushing for a historic first win.
