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Reggae Boy Gray downplays injury

Published:Friday | November 5, 2021 | 3:23 PM
Jamaica's Andre Gray (left) shielding the ball from John Brooks of the United States during an international friendly match in March.
AP
Jamaica's Andre Gray (left) shielding the ball from John Brooks of the United States during an international friendly match in March.

LONDON (CMC):

Reggae Boy Andre Gray has played down a second-half injury, which led to him being substituted after he scored Queens Park Rangers’ goal in their 1-0 English Championship victory at Cardiff City on Wednesday night.

Gray, 30, is among a group of UK-based players named in Jamaica’s 24-member squad for their World Cup qualifiers away to El Salvador on November 12 and home to the United States five days later.

Gray netted his third QPR goal of the season in the 37th minute as the Londoners moved back into the Championship play-off spots with a deserved win over a lacklustre Cardiff in the Welsh capital.

He drilled home after Andre Dozzell’s pass split the Bluebirds’ defence, but was substituted on 54 minutes after receiving a knock.

Asked about the injury later, Gray said: “I don’t think it’s too bad. I came off as a precaution really.”

Fellow Reggae Boy Mikhail Antonio, 31, who has netted six league goals this season for Premier League side West Ham United, was withdrawn by manager David Moyes on 58 minutes ahead of Sunday’s visit by Liverpool, as the Hammers were held to a 2-2 draw by Genk in a Europa League Group H match on Thursday.

The away draw in Moyes’ 1,000th match as a manager was enough to see West Ham reach the Europa League knockout stages.

Kemar Roofe, 28, another player in the Reggae Boyz squad, came close to scoring the winner for Scottish champions Rangers after substitute Ianis Hagi secured a precious point on 77 minutes in a 1-1 draw at Brondby, to go level with second-placed Sparta Prague in Europa League Group A.

Still trailing after the Danes led right on half-time as Leon Balogun headed into his own net, manager Steven Gerrard withdrew Alfredo Morelos, Fashion Sakala and Scott Arfield and threw on Hagi, Roofe and Ryan Kent, the latter returning from a six-week hamstring injury, on 56 minutes.

After Hagi grabbed the equaliser, Rangers had a late chance for a winner when Roofe got in a header at a corner, but the forward was only able to find the side netting.

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