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Axe for Sheffield Wednesday's Johnson
JERMAINE Johnson is set to be axed for Jamaica's crucial and final Gold Cup qualifier against El Salvador in Florida today.
He is likely to be on the bench for a game that Jamaica must win to stand any chance of reaching the later stages, after losing their first two group encounters to Canada and Costa Rica.
Jamaica coach Theo Whitmore has questioned the winger's fitness, for the second time in the tournament.
"Johnson is not 100 per cent fit, so his game is for a 10-minute spurt and then he relaxes, so basically that is why we plan to play him coming off the bench in the next game," said Whitmore.
The comment about the player's fitness could raise concerns at Hillsborough, though Brian Laws has already acknowledged that the Owls forward could need a rest or extra fitness work to put him on a par with the other Wednesday players.
Johnson is set to be assessed whenever he rejoins the squad.
Part of the problem appears to be he missed two of Jamaica's warm-up games because of suspension after being sent off in a friendly in June.
His normal attacking game was stifled in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat against Cost Rica because he was handed a defensive role after Jamaica midfielder Rudolph Austin was sent off in the first half.
Whitmore admitted: "When we went down to 10 players, most of the time Johnson was forced into more of a defensive role. We want to attack in our next game, so I think I will use him off the bench for the last 20 to 25 minutes... I think he will be more effective that way."
Whitmore was criticised in the Jamaica media for taking off Johnson during last week's 1-0- defeat by Canada.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
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