Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Jamaica's Tyrone Marshall - file

TORONTO, Canada

THERE is concern in Jam-aica's camp pertaining to the fitness of top defender, Tyrone Marshall, for Wednesday's opening semi-final round Confederations of North, Central America and the Caribbean Associations of Football (CONCACAF) Group Two World Cup qualifier against Canada.

The Reggae Boy aggravated an injury that has been affecting him for some time, which forced him to miss his team's match against the New York Red Bulls in New York yesterday.

Marshall, one of Jamaica's most experienced and capable defenders, was also forced out of his club's game against Colorado Rapids on Thursday inside the first quarter-hour.

However, members of the Jamaican coaching staff thought he would have recovered fully for Wednesday's important fixture and were concerned when they got news yesterday afternoon.

" He was scheduled to play tonight (last night) for his club team but he felt it (pain)," said René Simoes, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical director.

He added: "We spoke to him and he says he's okay, it's different from Ricardo Fuller.

"Ricardo's was a long injury. To come here to play and return for a game on Saturday is a big risk, so we prefer to facilitate him," Simoes noted of the Jamaican striker who was not selected for this game because he had been on the injured roster of his club, English Premier League outfit Stoke City.

Fuller returned to action on Saturday, coming off the bench to score in their 1-3 season opener against Bolton Wanderers, the club of his Reggae Boy teammate, Ricardo Gardner.

Gardner, Goodison join

Gardner was scheduled to join the Jamaican camp in Toronto yesterday evening, with another English-based defender, veteran strongman Ian Goodison.

In the meantime, Marshall, who is undergoing physiotherapy on his quadriceps, was still due to join the Jamaican camp yesterday evening, following which the team's doctor, Charles Roberts, will make an assessment.

"It's a partial quad tear, but I'd have to have a look at it," noted Dr Roberts, immediately after he got off the phone with Marshall.

Dr. Roberts added: "He tried to run on it (leg) and felt a twinge. But he continues to get physio treatment. When he comes, we'll have a look at it and see what happens."

On a more positive note, the ranks of the 20-man Reggae Boyz squad continued to swell with the arrival of Demar Stewart and Wolry Wolfe from their respective clubs in China and Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, along with Andy Williams from US Major League Soccer club, Real Salt Lake, yesterday.

Demar Phillips (Stoke), Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids) and Deon Burton (Sheffield Wednesday) were due to arrive later, while Luton Shelton (Valerenga ‹ Norway) is due this evening at 6:25 p.m.

Wolfe arrived in time for training on Saturday night, the same day the team arrived.

Metabolism changes

"Every time you fly there is a change in the metabolism of the players," noted Simoes as they got match preparations under way immediately.

"This was just a light exercise, we've to adjust because we're going to play at 7:30 p.m.

"It's good," said Simoes of the practice. "The point is, everybody must know what they've to do because it's a higher level of football. You've to do what your role says you've to do because if you don't do it, your team will be in trouble."

The Boyz, all local-based with the exception of Wolfe, did mostly technical drills for approximately 1-1/2 hours and while they appeared to be enjoying themselves, the players executed the drills with a fair amount of intensity at a decent pace on the artificial surface at St Michael's College School, nearly 20 minutes ride from the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, where they are based.

Both the training time and surface provided ample simulation for the team as the turf at the BMO Stadium, where the national teams match up on Wednesday night at 7:30p.m. (6:30 p.m. Ja time), is also artificial.

The teams are involved in CONCACAF's three-group quadrangular play-off for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa. The top two from each group will advance to the six-team finals, which automatically qualify the top three for the World Cup. The fourth place team plays the fifth place team from CONMEBOL (South America) for another spot.

Besides Jamaica and Canada, top-ranked regional country Mexico and Honduras are also in Group Two. Qualification in this round ends in November.