As the Reggae Boyz gear up for their opening 2026 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match against the Dominican Republic this Thursday at the National Stadium in Kingston, they face significant challenges due to the absence of several high-profile players.
Key players, including goalkeeper Andre Blake, who recently underwent knee surgery and will be sidelined for over a month, Demarai Gray (collarbone), Ethan Pinnock (ankle), Joel Latibeaudiere (torn calf muscle), and Amari’i Bell (hamstring) are all out. Additionally, teenage sensation Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards has been called back for treatment by Chelsea, further depleting the squad.
Despite these setbacks, head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson remains optimistic about the team’s prospects. He emphasizes that plans are in place to address such situations and expresses confidence in fielding a balanced team on Thursday.
Preparation for the Copa America
“We always want our strongest team. We have had pretty good consistency in selection and we wanted to use these World Cup matches as preparation for the Copa America,” Hallgrimsson told The Gleaner newspaper. “Everybody knows about Andre Blake. Ethan Pinnock is injured but will be ready for the Copa America. He needed some treatment after the season. He pushed himself to help his team stay in the league and played the last eight games for Brentford.”
Hallgrimsson provided updates on other injured players: “Demarai Gray broke his collarbone but will also be ready for Copa. Latibeaudiere is the same. We were hoping that he will be ready. Amari’i Bell missed the last third of the season for Luton. We are hoping he will be ready. We were hoping to have him here training but Luton did not want to release him as yet from their medical team.”
While Blake and Richards will not participate in the upcoming matches, the other injured players are expected to be available for the Copa America tournament.
“A few players, ‘Whisper’ (Richards), Blake and Leon Bailey will be in neither of the camps. But hopefully, the other four will be ready for Copa America,” Hallgrimsson said.
Local talent
To fill the gaps left by the injured players, Hallgrimsson will rely on local talent, including Kaheim Dixon, Devonte Campbell, Adrian Reid Jr., and goalkeeper Shaquan Davis.
“We had camps in Jamaica from January to March and played friendly games against Trinidad to introduce those players to our way of playing, our system, and principles. So it’s easy to pick them because they had a good season in the Premier League and they know the system and way of playing,” he explained.
Despite the adjustments, Hallgrimsson believes in the team’s depth and quality to secure a win against the Dominican Republic. “In this world, nothing is perfect and you need to be ready for certain things, especially here in Jamaica. Things change at the last minute all the time. So you know you will need a plan B and a plan C,” he added.
Squad for World Cup Qualifiers:
Goalkeepers: Jahmali Waite, Shaquan Davis, Coney-Boyce Clarke, Jayden Hibbert.
Defenders: Greg Leigh, John Bell, Richard King, DiShon Bernard, Damion Lowe, Michael Hector, Taylor Gray, Dexter Lembisika.
Midfielders: Kevin Lambert, Kacey Palmer, Adrian Reid Jr., Alex Marshall, Karoy Anderson, Bobby Reid, Daniel Johnson.
Forwards: Renaldo Cephas, Deshawn Beckford, Kaheim Dixon, Corey Burke, Michail Antonio, Shamar Nicholson, Devonte Campbell.
