Reggae Boyz defender Alvas Powell (second left) juggles a ball in a group along with Montrose Phinn (left), Kaemmar Daley (second right) and Jermaine Hue during a training session at the Jamaica Football Federation Academy at the University of the West Indies yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn

Jamaica senior team, the Reggae Boyz, has lost key defenders Jermaine Taylor and Demar Phillips along with winger Dane Richards to injury, ahead of all-important CONCACAF World Cup Qualification games against Mexico and the United States early next month.

These, added to the long-term injury of defender Nyron Nosworthy, who ruptured his achilles during the Reggae Boyz 1-1 draw with Panama in March, means that the coaching staff led by head coach Theodore Whitmore, will have to make a number of adjustments in the coming games.

One such addition is expected to be German-based defender Daniel Gordon, who plays his football for Karlsruher SC.

The Reggae Boyz will face Mexico on June 4 and then tackle the USA three days later inside the National Stadium. Both games will start at 8:30 p.m. They will then travel to Honduras to play that nation on June 11.

"We will be without Demar Phillips, who dislocated his shoulder and Jermaine Taylor out because of an injury he picked up in a club game in the MLS. Also out due to a hamstring injury is Dane Richards," Alfredo Montesso, the Reggae Boyz assistant coach disclosed after a training session at the Jamaica Football Federation Training Centre at the University of the West Indies (UWI) yesterday.

The team was originally in The Bahamas for a training camp, which was cut short so they returned to the island on Sunday night. They played against English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in a game that ended 0-0 at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau last Thursday.

They were scheduled to play another game against The Bahamas national team on May 31 but was, however, cancelled.

Whitmore, who stopped in his home town Montego Bay upon the team's return to the island, did not make it back to Kingston on time and missed yesterday's session. In his absence, Montesso and national Under-20 coach Luciano Gama conducted the training session with only nine players available.

The nine players at the training session included O'Brian Woodbine, Evan Taylor, Alvas Powell, Kaemmar Daley, Jermie Lynch, Daniel Gordon, Montrosde Phinn, Jermaine Johnson and Jermaine Hue.

The full squad is expected to be available by May 31.

- M.S.