Jamaican football fans will have to wait a bit longer to again see Khadija “Bunny” Shaw donning the Reggae Girlz jersey.

The 28-year-old Shaw, troubled by injury in recent seasons, will not join the Reggae Girlz for the friendly international away to Trinidad and Tobago on October 28, as the team prepares for FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers next month.

The Manchester City star last played for Jamaica in late 2024 against South Africa.

Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby says delaying Shaw’s return to the national women’s team comes from collaboration between the Jamaica Football Federation and her England-based club. Busby said the decision was taken to prioritise the prolific striker’s well-being, particularly against the backdrop of more important national team assignments on the horizon.

“The concern that we know is potential [substandard] pitches and different things that we might have to experience. And rather than risk it all in a match that is a friendly, after all, we are taking the concern to kind of see how things are,” he said during a press conference on Thursday.

“She is in great form, but they [Manchester City] have some concerns, and we want to… [make] sure that we are monitoring things going into these matches. And so the collaboration and discussion was that we would kind of make that compromise to wait until the next round [of World Cup qualification] to bring her in as opposed to bring her in for this match,” Busby said.

He added: “Obviously, there [is] some information that is private [and] remains between Manchester and ourselves.”

Shaw has four goals and one assist in six Women’s Super League matches this season for Manchester City.

The performances have not been lost on Busby.

“It is great to see her in fine form, and yet the crazy part is that you speak to her and you speak to the club, she is not quite [at her best as] yet. I think it’s fantastic for us and problems for the rest of the Women’s Super League,” he said.

Mostly due to injury, Shaw has missed quite a number of games for both club and country.

Busby said he is keen to ensure that she is fully fit before returning to the national set-up.

“Remember there were two years in a row that she has been out for some lengthy periods of time, and even though she is coming back, we want to make sure that she is in good form heading into their matches and subsequently if she is healthy for Man City, then she will be healthy for us. And hope that we will see her next month for the qualifiers,” he noted.

Meanwhile, key players Drew Spence and Trudi Carter have missed selection, both due to injury.

“Drew Spence had picked up a knock last week and Tottenham Hotspur had informed us that they are going to hold her out, but we hope that she will be ready for the next round. Trudi Carter was in the squad as well and she had picked up a knock,” Busby noted.

Despite the absence of the attacking trio, the head coach is confident that the Reggae Girlz will fare well against Trinidad and Tobago.

Busby believes that the current roster has a strong core of players who have been with the team for a while, and that the recent games have provided valuable experience for the younger players.

“If you look at the roster, there is a strong core of players that have been with this group for a while now and so we used the opportunity to maintain the core of players, the players unavailable due to injuries or personal reasons heading into the games,” he stated.

Busby is excited about the opportunity to bring in new talent, including Tianna Harris, who has been playing in Europe, and Gabrielle Gayle, a local-born player who has been doing well in Mexico.

“Harris has been playing France and she has been doing well Portugal and so it is a great opportunity to bring her in to add to competition for places but also add to depth in the backline. We have been monitoring Gayle her to see how she has been doing. We wanted to see how she has progressed on in the last year and a half playing abroad. So this is really a good opportunity for her to step up and make a claim,” Busby said.

Busby also highlighted the inclusion of Jaileah McPherson, the captain of her Under-20 team, who has been doing well in college.

“We feel compelled to support her with the national team and her schedule allowed her to come in to these games as well,” he explained.

“We are looking forward to this match. As you know that’s a great rivalry between us and Trinidad. They are our biggest Caribbean rivals and their on the midst of their preparations as a seeded team as well.We look forward to the game as well as a big match and a test prior to our qualifying matches,” Busby said.

The Jamaican women qualified for the past two World Cup tournaments, in 2019 and 2023. The next edition is set for 2027.

SQUAD:

Goalkeepers – Rebecca Spencer and Sydney Scheidner.

Defenders – Allyson Sawby, Tianna Harris, Konya Plummer, Chantelle Swaby, Tiffany Cameron, and Gabrielle Gayle.

Midfielders – Jaileah McPherson, Deniesha Blackwood, Izzy Groves, Atlanta Primus, and Vyan Sampson.

Forwards – Kayla McKenna, Natasha Thomas, Shania Hayles, Jody Brown, Njeri Butts, and Kiki Van Zanten.

Manchester City’s Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw (centre) receives medical attention during the UEFA Women’s Champions League football match versus Hammarby at Joie Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on November 12, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

Colombia’s Diana Ospina (left) and Jamaica’s Trudi Carter fight for the ball during the Women’s World Cup round-of-16 football match at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Australia on August 8, 2023. (Photo: AFP)