By Audley Boyd, Staff ReporterNATIONAL Senior football's joint technical director, Carl Brown, does not believe the absence of Deon Burton and Darryl Powell will weaken his Reggae Boyz outfit for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.
"I'm not certain that it will make us weaker. It's two players who we were intending to use. What it will do is open the door for others to come in," Brown said yesterday.
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), was informed that the players would not be available for the qualifier due to injuries they picked up in a Premier League match against Middlesborough at the weekend.
The release, signed by club secretary Keith Pearson and addressed 'for the attention of Horace Reid' (JFF general secretary), said:
"Unfortunately both Deon Burton and Darryl Powell have received injuries from our Premier League game against Middlesborough on Saturday 3rd November. Therefore they will not be available to join you in your two games against Nigeria and Costa Rica."
Derby County lost the league game 1-5, with former Italian international, Fabrizio Ravanelli, scoring the consolation.
The game against Nigeria, a friendly that should have taken place in London tomorrow, was called off from last week as the JFF said certain guarantees were not met by the agreed time.
More than 12 members of Jamaica's national football pool play professionally in England. Burton and Powell were the only two who had given guarantees that they were coming for the match.
Brown is somewhat surprised about the latest news.
"I spoke to both players prior to the fax and they were willing to come, they were ready to come," said Brown. "I was kind of surprised that they were hurt and wouldn't be able to come.
"We were just hoping that we'd have gotten the ones we invited," he added. "We had planned to use the ones available and I don't believe it'll affect us significantly."
The Derby County duo have been a regular part of the national football programme for several years and played in France '98 when Jamaica made its historical World Cup debut.
Burton was the strike partner for Onandi Lowe for much of the qualifying competition. Lowe was not named in a 23-man squad released to prepare this final week for the game.
Powell generally plays in midfield, mainly from the central position.
The coach says the absence of the English-based two will provide a good chance for fringe players, especially the younger ones who are expected to lead the thrust in the qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup finals that will be held in Germany.
"For those who have been knocking on the door this will be a good opportunity for them. It should do a lot of good for the young ones coming in.
"We've to start somewhere and if we're going to look at the younger players for the 2006 World Cup then this is a good opportunity for them," said Brown.
Sunday's game will be Jamaica's last in the CONCACAF final round play-off for the 2002 World Cup to be staged in Japan/Korea. The Reggae Boyz are second from bottom and cannot qualify.
