CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United could have some injury concerns as they go into tonight’s Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final Zone H game against Panamanian team CD Arabe Unido at the Montego Bay Sports Complex set to start at 7:00 pm.

Reports reaching the Jamaica Observer are that as many as four regular starters, including striker Dino Williams, could be out due to injury.

Wing back Orlando McBayne — who was one of two players who had to be substituted because of injury in Sunday’s Red Stripe Premier League game against Harbour View — is out. Also confirmed out is central defender Ladale Richie, while Owayne Gordon is said to have not trained all week.

If both Williams and Gordon are unable to start tonight, it would be a massive blow to the ambitions of the first-time Champions League campaigners in their quest for their first-ever win at this level, coming off a strong performance against Zone winners DC United here last month.

Neither Montego Bay United nor CD Arabe Unido are able to advance past the group stages as DC United, with 10 points, have already taken the quarter-final place, but both teams say they need the win.

CD Arabe Unido had beaten Montego Bay United 3-0 on August 5 in Panama City, but then lost both games to DC United and are on three points, while the hosts are on one from their draw against the MLS outfit after leading 3-0 early in the second half.

Once against Montego Bay United have to prove themselves after losing their first game to the Panamanian side, hoping to return the favour.

“Very much like the second DC United game, we were coming from a 0-3 deficit from the first game and we needed to prove how much we had improved,” said Montego Bay Coach Tim Hankinson. “The fact is that we lost early on in the first game 3-0 in Panama, so this becomes another proving ground for us to establish that we have not just improved to have that draw against DC United, but our goal is to go in and win this game. And if we do, we finish second in the group and that is a great building block for the future.”

With qualification all but gone after the first two games, Hankinson told the Observer there is still much to play for in this game. “There is definitely a great deal of pride to play for, and as I said, when you go into the CONCACAF Champions League the first time, you are not there to win it; you are there to learn and to grow from the experience, and we need to show we have grown from this experience and the results will be a reflection of how we will start in the competition next year,” said the American.

Without Williams, who scored twice against DC United and has the most shots (16) on goal in the competition, and Gordon, who has been in great form in the Red Stripe Premier League, Montego Bay will have to dig deep if they are to win.

But all hope is not lost as the Jamaican outfit welcomes back Allan Ottey who missed the DC United game as a result of yellow card accumulation and will be charged to lead the attack. Young Kashief Brown could make his first appearance in the Champions League as well.

Attacking midfielder Jermaine Woozencroft, who scored Montego Bay United’s first-ever Champions League goal, was an early substitute against Harbour View, but could feature today.

Juan Guzman, the coach of the CD Arabe Unido, told the Observer through interpreter Karen Vargas yesterday that winning today was “very important”.

“Before we came here we saw the video of the game against DC united and we have seen the improvements, so we had to make changes as well to match up,” Guzman said.