With just about three months to go until the Fifa Women’s World Cup, Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz’ preparations are now in full swing and Head Coach Lorne Donaldson has a few big decisions to make by June, which is when he is expected to submit a final squad for the Australia and New Zealand showpiece.

That means there’s very little time for players who aren’t already on Donaldson’s radar to make their case, with a planned two-match send-off series in June representing the final piece of the Reggae Girlz build-up to the World Cup scheduled for July 20 to August 20.

Obviously form will be a decisive factor in the squad selection and Donaldson, in a previous interview, made that very clear, though in the same breath, he admitted that he already had 18 or 19 players locked in — barring any further injuries — while the other four or five positions are a toss up.

Donaldson will ideally want to keep a large bulk of the Cup of Nations squad for team harmony purposes, especially since he has been stressing the need for cohesiveness, so expect only a few changes from that 24 that went down under.

Those safe players right now are goalkeepers Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider, and 17-year-old Liya Brooks, who seem to have found the liking of Donaldson and his assistants Ak Lakhani and Xavier Gilbert since their historic tour of South Korea in September last year.

Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Tiernny Wiltshire, Deneisha Blackwood, and Victoria Williams are those in the defensive line that are also considered safe, along with midfielders Havana Solaun, Vyan Sampson, Drew Spence, Solai Washington, Atlanta Primus, and attackers Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Cheyna Matthews, and Kameron Simmonds.

Simmonds, 19, and Washington, 17, have consistently been logging minutes since the Cup of Nations tournament in Australia and, by all indications, have found favour with the coaching staff as they are viewed as players who can add flexibility to the attacking front.

Both are relatively inexperienced but were effective in those games against Czech Republic, Australia, and more recently Sheffield. Again, they could be difference-makers from the bench.

Left back Siobhan Wilson of Birmingham City was also among the perceived safe players, but recently picked up an injury which could all but rule her out of contention for the final 23.

Bristol City’s Shania Hayles is the closest striker Jamaica has to Shaw, in terms of style, and so she remains on the radar, but whether the 23-year-old will make it is left to be seen as she recently returned from injury.

It seems Donaldson’s faith in Trudi Carter is reducing as the months go by, and this was evident by her omission from the recent camp in England. The nippy attacker is currently without a club since her contract with Spanish Liga F club FC Levante Las Planas expired.

Still, she has been tried and proven to still factor in the outcome. If not, the opportunity might then be handed to 22-year-old Ohio State midfielder Peyton McNamara, who, like the other young players, has really commanded the coaching staff’s attention.

Sashana “Pete” Campbell, who hasn’t been called upon since picking up an injury at the Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico, is now reported fit and healthy, and if considered, could make the cut, with a reliance on potential emergency alternatives at centre back or in the full back positions.

That said, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the readiness of former Captain Konya Plummer, which means once she hits competitive mode, she should make a return to the squad in the heart of the defence.

Racing Louisville’s Satara Murray has proven her worth as a centre back and should also make it in.

Versatility should also be a characteristic held in high regard if players want to go the distance at the global showpiece and Tiffany Cameron is a perfect example, given her ability as an attacker and now as a right full back.

In fact, it is that show of versatility that has all but secured Cameron’s place in the final 23.

Prior to the Cup of Nations tournament, Cameron did not get many minutes, until she accepted the fact that she would not make the squad as an attacker.

Despite logging over 14 goals and 10 assists in over 15 games for her Hungarian top-flight club FC Gyor, Cameron, who could be considered an important leader in the Reggae Girlz group, embraced change and has since made the right full back position her comfort zone. She is expected to rotate the position with Wiltshire and possibly Chantelle Swaby.

Basically, there may be no place for Kayla McKenna, Rachel Jones, and Kalyssa Van Zanten, so too for 2019 veterans Chinyelu Asher and Marlo Sweatman, both of whom have been absent from the squad for quite some time.

Possible World Cup Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider, Liya Brooks

Defenders: Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Konya Plummer, Victoria Williams, Tiernny Wiltshire, Tiffany Cameron, Deneisha Blackwood, Satara Murray

Midfielders: Havana Solaun, Vyan Sampson, Drew Spence, Atlanta Primus, Solai Washington, Trudi Carter

Forwards: Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Kameron Simmonds, Cheyna Matthews, Shania Hayles