Mckennie to start vs shorthanded Jamaica during World Cup qualifier

AUSTIN, Texas — Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna are missing from the U.S. lineup because of injuries but Weston Mckennie will start following his disciplinary flap last month. Jamaica is without top forward Michail Antonio for reasons that remain unclear.

The Americans host Jamaica on Thursday

night after getting five points in their first three matches of

CONCACAF’S brutal, 14-game, sevenmonth final round of World Cup qualifying. The Reggae Boyz

have one point as they seek to return to

soccer’s showcase for the first time since 1998.

“After three games I don’t think it’s panic

mode for anyone in the table,” U.S. coach

Gregg Berhalter said Wednesday. “This is

about just hanging in there and every round chipping away

at it until you get to

that number where you’re qualified.”

Reyna hasn’t played since a hamstring injury in the Sept. 2 opener at El Salvador, and Pulisic hasn’t recovered from a

sprained ankle sustained six days later at Honduras.

Jamaica learned Tuesday that Antonio,

the Premier League’s August player of the

month for West Ham, failed to travel. Reggae Boyz coach Theodore Whitmore wouldn’t confirm or refute a report Antonio was angry he couldn’t bring along a physiotherapist.

“I can’t comment whether it’s commitment,” Whitmore

said. “It’s a sticky situation. There’s not

much I can say . ... I don’t want to point

any fingers. I don’t know who is at fault, All I can say is the player was selected.”

Jamaica will have only 20 players dress — including three goalkeepers — from

the 23 selected, three

shy of the total allowed to suit up. Whitmore said it was

too late to ask clubs for releases.

“Personally, I wanted to take more than 23 players,” he said.

Berhalter has 26 in camp. Midfielder Yunus Musah was uncertain after an inconclusive COVID test and trained on his

own Wednesday. The U.S. team was awaiting a PCR test.

“It was a precaution we needed to take,”

Berhalter said.