Reggae Boy-elect blocked?

JAMAICA’S OMARI Hutchinson, who earned his first Reggae Boy cap in a friendly against Catalonia, is said to have been asked by his club, Chelsea FC, not to turn out for the national team, who play Cameroon on Wednesday.

According to reports in The Athletic, with a game against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and a World Cup looming, Chelsea are likely to commit to heavy squad rotation that could see Hutchinson given a rare first-team opportunity.

The suggestion that Chelsea had done this became even more sturdy when Hutchinson was left off Chelsea’s under-21 fixture yesterday.

Hutchinson has been getting closer to a place on the field in Graham Potter’s side, having made the squad against Brighton and Hove Albion last week. Hutchinson was an unused substitute in the 4-1 loss.

The attacker, who turned 20 just last month, joined Chelsea in 2008 but went to Charlton Athletic in 2012 before spending seven years at Arsenal where his performances caught the eyes of the Jamaica Football Federation.

He returned to Stamford Bridge in 2022.

There is an interesting dynamic here because, having played in a friendly international, Hutchinson is still able to play for England and the Reggae Boyz are keen to keep his interest until he can play in an official game.