The Jamaican squad which travelled to San Pedro Sula on Monday to face home nation Honduras in the battle of the cellar-dwellers tomorrow has been further reduced by two players.
Alvas Powell of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer was forced out after being substituted in the first half of Sunday’s game against Canada.
Scans reveal a grade one tear of his left hamstring and reports are that he was heading back to his club in the US. He was joined by AFC Bournemouth attacker Jamal Lowe, whose English Championship club had apparently agreed to him playing just two games with Jamaica for this international window.
The absence of the two players has reduced Jamaica’s complement to 19 players, even though FIFA allows up to 23 players on the match card for each game.
Last week three players withdrew through injuries, two of whom were central defenders, while a fourth absented himself after his request to have his personal trainer accompany him on the three-game road trip was rejected.
As it turned out, central defender Damion Lowe received a first-half yellow card against the US last Thursday and was suspended for Sunday’s game against Canada, creating a headache for Head Coach Theodore Whitmore and his technical staff.
They solved that by using Powell in central defence on Sunday and when he was substituted, veteran central midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson was asked to fill a void at central defence.
But according to a report in the Jamaican media, Whitmore says though challenging, he and his team will have to make do with whatever tools at their disposal at the minute.
Jamaica, on only two points and bottom of the final round of qualification, face seventh-placed Honduras who are on three points and reeling from their 3-0 hammering by Mexico at the Azteca on Sunday.
The game is set for 7:05 pm tomorrow at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano.
The Reggae Boyz arrived via charter from Kingston into San Pedro Sula yesterday afternoon and had their obligatory PCR Covid-a9 tests done later in the night.
They will have their one practice at the match venue today at 7:00 pm.
The full squad that travelled is as follows: Andre Blake, Dillon Barnes, Jeadine White, Anthony Grant, Javon East, Andre Gray, Tyreek Magee, Damion Lowe, Devon Williams, Kemar Roofe, Jamoi Topey, Javain Brown, Junior Flemmings, Je-Vaughn Watson, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Shamar Nicholson, Bobby Reid, Oniel Fisher.
