The countdown is on to John Herdman's Nov. 13 roster reveal of the 26 players who will represent the Canadian men's national team at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Before that, however, Herdman will have one final opportunity to assess a group of mostly domestic-based players called up for a camp, as well as an international friendly match against Bahrain on Friday, Nov. 11 at Al-Khalifa Stadium (10:30 a.m. ET, available on OneSoccer). The camp will also provide a key opportunity for several important players who will be included in the World Cup squad to get match fitness after weeks of inaction following the conclusion of the Major League Soccer season. This match will be intriguing for a variety of reasons, as the national team begins its final preparations for the tournament. Here are three key storylines to watch for heading into the match against Bahrain.

Can Former CPLers MacNaughton, Waterman make the case for Qatar?​

After a World Cup Qualifying campaign during which the national team conceded the fewest goals, seven in 14, of any team in the Concacaf final round, most of the defensive positions on the squad are filled at this point. With squad regular Scott Kennedy set to miss the tournament through injury, however, as well as an expanded 26-man squad, there will be a few extra spots available. With that in mind, Herdman called up a pair of former Canadian Premier League defenders, Joel Waterman of CF Montréal (formerly of Cavalry FC) and Lukas MacNaughton of Toronto FC (who won the North Star Shield with Pacific in 2021), into camp. This is the third camp that Waterman has been called into, although he is yet to earn his first cap. MacNaughton, meanwhile, received his first international call-up. While Doneil Henry and Kamal Miller are likely to start this match at centre-back to build fitness ahead of the World Cup, Waterman could be in line for minutes as well, especially depending on what formation Herdman elects to play. Who replaces Kennedy on the World Cup roster probably comes down to Waterman and Derek Cornelius, although in theory both could be included. Both have enjoyed excellent seasons, Cornelius with Panetolikos of the Greek Super League. The case for Cornelius is his familiarity with Herdman's system. The case for Waterman includes his familiarity with the CF Montréal contingent, Kamal Miller and Alistair Johnston, who make up a key part of the Canadian men's national team backline.

Ismaël Koné has a chance to play a starring role​

After strong performances against both Uruguay and Qatar in the last international window, coupled with club form for CF Montréal -- including scoring in the MLS Cup Playoffs against Orlando City -- Koné has made himself a lock for Qatar. Now the question becomes how big of a role the incredibly talented 20-year-old midfielder will play when he gets there. With John Herdman likely to deploy a three-man midfield against Bahrain, Koné should get just his second start for the men's national team. In doing so, he will have an opportunity to prove he should be playing a starting role in at least one of Canada's group-stage matchups at the tournament. Koné played 30 and 35 minutes respectively as an impact sub in both of Canada's previous friendly matches, against Qatar and Uruguay. In both of those matches, he showed an excellent ability to progress the ball forward into dangerous areas and looked calm and confident against a Uruguay side boasting some elite-level midfielders. One other aspect of this match that is worth watching is the fitness and play of Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who missed the last Canadian camp, and the end of the club season, through injury. Osorio will remain a key player for Canada heading into Qatar, and getting him significant minutes in this match will be key to making sure he arrives there as sharp as possible.

With Max Crépeau injured, who takes the net?​

One of the most intriguing positions during this camp is in net. A serious injury to Max Crépeau of LAFC in the 2022 MLS Cup final has ruled out the side's usual backup keeper for the World Cup. Without locked-in World Cup starter Milan Borjan for the Bahrain friendly, Canada will rely on three goalkeepers 25 years of age or younger with only a single senior international cap between them. That was earned by Dayne St. Clair back in June 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Aruba -- during which he did not face a single shot attempt. With that being said, St. Clair has been excellent this season for Minnesota United in Major League Soccer, making 33 appearances across all competitions and keeping five clean sheets while stopping 2.6 more goals than expected (fifth-best in the league) during his first full season as a starter. He will almost certainly now be the starter against Bahrain. Crépeau's injury will likely see the third goalkeeping spot in Qatar taken by another Québec native, James Pantemis (who is also a former CPLer, having played for Valour on loan during the 2020 season). The 25-year-old won the starting spot this year at CF Montréal from fellow Canadian Sebastian Breza, and helped lead them to a second-place finish in the MLS Eastern Conference. Pantemis also has a long history of being included in Canadian youth sides, as well as call-ups to various men's national team camps. He was also Canada's starting keeper at the Concacaf Olympic Qualifiers back in 2021. This camp will be a chance for him to cement a spot on the World Cup roster. His recent play in Montréal likely puts Pantemis ahead of veteran Jayson Leutwiler, who has three Canada caps but has struggled for minutes this season with Oldham Athletic of England's League Two. Thomas Hasal of the Vancouver Whitecaps was also called into camp to replace Crépeau, but likely with an eye more toward the long term.

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