Jamaica will open their Unity Cup campaign against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) at 1:45 pm Jamaican time in London, and head coach Steve McLaren acknowledges this will be a tough game.

“[It] is going to be a tough game for us, because we’re not at full strength,” said McClaren following a training session on Tuesday.

“We haven’t got the team we want and as I said, we’re planning World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cup, so we have to be wary of what we do,” he emphasised. ‘Trinidad has done really well, appointing Dwight Yorke as the coach and what I saw in the two games (against Jamaica), he’s a real thinker of the game.

“Absolutely perfect for Trinidad because he knows them and the culture, and I’ve seen a vast improvement. I was very impressed, tactically very astute, very aware. And then I watched them against Cuba to qualify also for the Gold Cup, which is a great milestone for them, and I was impressed—in such a short time, what Dwight has put into the team. So, I think they have a bright future. I think they’ll climb up the rankings in FIFA.”

McClaren has added the Charlton Athletic duo Kahiem Dixon and Karoy Anderson to the Reggae Boyz team after they helped their team gain promotion to England’s second-tier championship.

Charlton defeated Leyton Orient in the League One playoff final on Sunday, with 20-year-old Anderson playing 22 minutes. Dixon, also 20, never made the matchday card but could play a significant role.

Ravel Morrison of Precision FC, in the United Arab Emirates’ second division league, will also join the team late.

The 32-year-old Morrison last played for Jamaica in a 2-2 draw with Mexico in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League.