Preston North End midfielder in World Cup qualifier setback

The Preston North End midfielder was in the Reggae Boyz side beaten at home 3-0 by Panama on Sunday.

Johnson is now on his way back to England as travel restrictions prevent him featuring in Jamaica’s next qualifier against Costa Rica on Wednesday.

The clash with Panama in Kingston was the middle one of three games for Jamaica during this international break.

Last Friday they were beaten 2-1 by Mexico, a game Johnson didn’t travel to.

Most of the English-based players were barred from playing in Mexico as it is a red-list country – as is Costa Rica.

Johnson played the full 90 minutes of the Panama game, one very much bossed by the visiting country.

Jamaica trailed 2-0 by the interval, with Panama adding a late third goal.

It left them bottom of the eight-team qualifying group, once which includes the United States and Canada.

Only playing one game in this break will see Johnson back with his PNE team-mates in time to start the build-up to Saturday’s clash with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

PNE head coach Frankie McAvoy will have to wait on returns later in the week for Sepp van den Berg, Alan Browne and new signing Ali McCann.

Van den Berg is away with Holland’s Under-21s who play Moldova this evening in Deventer.

Browne got a call-up last Friday for the Republic of Ireland squad and was a late substitute in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan in Dublin.

The Republic are in action against Serbia tonight.

McCann is with the Northern Ireland squad until Wednesday evening.

He was in the Baltic states at the end of last week and over the weekend.

The midfielder played in Northern Ireland’s 4-1 win over Lithuania on Thursday, that game a World Cup qualifier.

On Sunday he watched from the bench as Ian Barraclough’s side won 1-0 in a friendly against Estonia.

Northern Ireland are back on the World Cup qualifying campaign on Wednesday, taking on Switzerland in Belfast.

The following day, McCann will meet up with the PNE squad for the first time since a £1.2m deadline-day move from St Johnstone.

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