Canada's September friendlies: Breaking down John Herdman's roster

It’s about to get very real for the Canadian men’s team.

Idle since June, Canada returns to action this week when it plays Qatar at Vienna's Generali Arena in the first of two international friendlies this month. The Reds will also meet Uruguay on Sept. 27 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Canada is using this pair of games as tune-ups ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After this international window, the Canadians will play Japan on Nov. 17 in Dubai in its final warmup match before heading off to Qatar for the World Cup.

Coach John Herdman named a 27-man roster for these two games last week, and his squad includes a few surprises, some newcomers, and notable omissions.

Here's a breakdown of Herdman's squad....