National Women’s senior football team head coach Hubert Busby has unveiled a 20-member Reggae Girlz squad for the upcoming international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago — notably without star striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.

Shaw, who plays for Manchester City in the Barclays Women’s Super League, last featured for Jamaica in back-to-back friendlies against South Africa in late November and early December 2024. The former WSL Player of the Year has been in scintillating form this season, scoring four goals in six matches to sit joint-second in the league’s scoring chart, with City just a point behind leaders Chelsea.

Despite her strong start, head coach Hubert Busby confirmed that Shaw will be rested for this window after discussions with both the player and her club.

“Last week I was in Manchester and had a good conversation with Bunny and her group including her physio as well as our medical team,” Busby explained. “We’re going to keep her out of this round. Obviously, she’s in fine form, but there’s one or two things we want to make sure that she’s great on heading into the next round.

“All is good from there — she’s doing well, she’s in great form and we want to keep it that way. But we want to make sure she’s fully ready heading into the next phase. Those are the discussions and the sort of compromise we’ve had with her club. We’ll continue to monitor her progress and hopefully see her next month.”

Busby also revealed that Drew Spence and Trudi Carter, two key figures in the Reggae Girlz setup, were not considered for selection due to injury setbacks.

“Drew Spence has picked up a knock last week prior too, so Tottenham informed us that they’re going to hold her out, and we hope that she’ll be ready for the next round,” Busby explained. “Trudi (Carter) was in the squad as well and she’s picked up a knock.”

In the trio’s absence, the squad still features a strong mix of experienced international talent and emerging players. Goalkeepers Rebecca Spencer and Sydney Schneider will again share duties between the posts, while the defensive line includes Allyson Swaby, Konya Plummer, Chantelle Swaby, Tianna Harris, Tiffany Cameron, and Gabrielle Gayle.

The midfield will be anchored by Deniesha Blackwood, Atlanta Primus, Vyan Sampson, Olufolasade Adamolekun, Jaileah McPherson, and Israela Groves. In attack, Jody Brown, Kayla McKenna, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Natasha Thomas, Njeri Butts, and Shania Hayles make up the forward line.

The match against Trinidad and Tobago, on October 28 in Port of Spain, will serve as a key tune-up for the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifiers, which begin in November. Jamaica, drawn in Group B, will open their campaign against Dominica on November 29, before facing Nicaragua away on March 2. They will then return home for back-to-back fixtures against Antigua and Barbuda on April 10 and Guyana on April 18.

Only the six group winners will advance to join the United States and Canada in next year’s CONCACAF Women’s Championship, which will act as the regional qualifying tournament for both the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.