WILLEMSTAD, Curacao — Although lamenting the loss of winger Demarai Gray, there’s been a buzz regarding the return of Dujuan “Whisper” Richards to the Reggae Boyz squad ahead of Friday’s Concacaf World Cup Qualifier against Curacao.

Richards, who hasn’t made an international appearance in two years, is expected to arrive here this afternoon after receiving the call from Head Coach Steve McClaren.

“We’ve done just about what has been asked of us so we’re hoping [Richards] will join us tomorrow,” JFF President Michael Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday evening.

The path was made clear for Richards, who has 10 caps for the Boyz, following an injury Gray sustained in training on Tuesday.

Though the full extent of the injury isn’t yet known, the Observer understands it was serious enough for him to return to England to be further assessed by his club Birmingham City.

It will be the second international window in a row that Gray misses out due to injury.

The national senior men’s team landed at the Curacao International Airport before settling in at Acoya Curacao Resort here.

Only Isaac Hayden and Kasey Palmer, who will miss Friday’s game because of suspension, were missing from the travelling squad with the other 24 players making the trip after their second training session at Sabina Park on Wednesday morning.

Captain Andre Blake, Bobby Reid, and Joel Latibeaudiere, who missed the September window due to injury, are present with the squad.

“Everything else would have gone well,” Ricketts said. “The flight wasn’t very long. It was a charter so it took roughly two hours. Everybody seems to be settling in nicely, and so far things have been going well from a logistics standpoint.”

The Reggae Boyz are expected to train this morning at the Ergilio Hato Stadium after the team’s prematch press conference at the same venue.

Jamaica can move a step closer to World Cup qualification as a win over Curacao would push them to nine points, five clear of Curacao heading into the Bermuda game on Tuesday at the National Stadium in Kingston.

National striker Shamar Nicholson is all smiles upon arrival. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

(From left) National assistant coach Merron Gordon, and forwards Rumarn Burrell and Tyreece Campbell prepare to settle in after arriving at Acoya Curacao Resort in Willemstad, Curacao on Wednesday night, ahead of their FIFA World Cup qualifying match against the host nation on Friday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)