Gray to have fitness test before Friday’s game
Published:Monday | September 4, 2023 | 12:06 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer -
Reggae Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson will assess the fitness of winger Demarai Gray before deciding if the player starts against Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League game on Friday at the National Stadium.
Gray, who criticised his club, Everton, on Instagram yesterday after they continued to turn down offers for him has not featured for the club since pre-season, following an outstanding Gold Cup with Jamaica, where he helped them to the semi-finals.
He has also not been involved in any of the club’s four English Premier League match squads or their Carabao Cup tie.
Hallgrimsson insists that it is important that players get as much game time under their belt but pointed out that many international teams go through this type of situation at this time of the year when transfer speculations are rife.
Nevertheless, he said they would assess the 27-year-old attacker before they make a decision on if he starts.
“We will have to evaluate his fitness. We will do some tests and individual sessions and look at his fitness and then we will make our decision,” he told a press conference last Friday.
“It is always important for players to play all matches as much as possible at a high level. He is working and training really hard, and he is very motivated.
“We have a few players who have not yet played. Dujaun Richards is one of them. But normally, this is the situation of national teams in September.
“The movement of football players in January or late in August is always difficult. When the window is closing, there are a lot of options, and they need to look at all the options,” Hallgrimsson said.
Meanwhile, as Everton continue to mull over the options on the table for him, the forward took to social media to express his frustration.
“Everton fans have always been great with me, but it’s so difficult to play for someone who doesn’t show you respect as a person,” Gray’s post read.
Although the window is now shut in England, which means that the Fulham option is now off the table, Turkish club Besiktas and Al-Shabab and Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq of the Saudi Arabia league are still trying to sign the Jamaica international as clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia can still make signings until September 15 and September 7, respectively.