Promising Jamaican footballer Dujuan “Whisper” Richards is expected to be back in action between late December and January, his agent told Our Today.

Richards who did a surgery in August, posted a video on Instagram of him grimacing as he exercised on Wednesday.

“He is doing well and close to full recovery doing strength exercises now,” said agent Craig Butler.

Richards who signed for English powerhouse Chelsea FC last year, was making waves scoring seven goals for Under-21 team in 10 starts with three assists before he got injured.

The nature of the injury was not revealed but the 18-year-old did a surgery in early August which was deemed successful. “He will start again between December and January,” Butler confirmed.

Richards, who hails from Port Royal in Kingston, is from a sporting family as his father Odile did tracks and cricket for Kingston College and later played basketball for Jamaica College, and won basketball titles Tivoli Gardens in the Jamaican league.

His uncle, Nicholas Richards formerly of Jamaica College, plays in the NBA with Charlotte Hornets and he picked up an injury on Friday. Dujaun’s brother Dimitri Richards won a basketball title with Jamaica College last year and is overseas at university.

Dujuan Richards, who will be 19 years old on November 10, made a name for himself with an outstanding schoolboy season in 2022 scoring 31 goals and 19 assists before signing for Chelsea.

In March 2023, he was called up to the senior Reggae Boyz squad for a friendly game against Trinidad and Tobago and scored his first goal in Jamaica’s 4-1 win over the same Trinidad and Tobago, this time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June, becoming Jamaica’s youngest scorer in the tournament.

He has represented Jamaica’s senior team 10 times.