KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s ReggaeBoyz were dealt a massive blow on the eve of the start of the CONCACAF Men’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers after goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake was ruled out for the next six weeks following an injury.

It was announced on Tuesday that Blake underwent meniscus surgery.  As a result, he will miss Jamaica’s opening games of the World Cup qualifying in Kingston on June 6 and then play away to Dominica three days later.

Jamaica’s head coach Heimer Hallgrimsson will however, be sweating over his recovery in time for the Copa America group stages starting June 22 where the Reggae Boyz will face Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama.

Philadelphia Union, Blake’s US Major League Soccer club, announced on the club’s website on Tuesday that the shot stopper would be sidelined “4-6 weeks” by head coach Jim Curtin.

Blake has been sidelined since April and the website quoted Curtin as saying, “It was a minor surgery where there were a couple of little loose flaps in there and they cleaned up his meniscus, which had a little minor tear. But overall, you guys know how much we miss him and how important he is to this team.”

-Paul A Reid