Kemar Lawrence could see his first action of the year for Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of MLS)
Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence hasn’t played in a competitive match this year, but he has been recalled by the Jamaican national team.
Lawrence will depart Wednesday to join Jamaica for a Concacaf Nations League qualifier at El Salvador Saturday night.
The left back has been working toward full fitness after sustaining a knee injury.
After Saturday’s 4-1 comeback home win over the San Jose Earthquakes, Red Bulls head coach Chris Armas said that Lawrence had reached full fitness.
“H’e’s playing — he’s all in on training,” he said. “He’s getting the fitness going. What we do here for the Red Bulls, we look out for the people. We look out for the players and we look out for the person.
“We’re trying to bring him along the right way and not put him in harm’s way. We’re trying to bring him along the right way, so we’ve taken calculated steps to get him ready, not just ready for the 45 minutes or 60 minutes so he can step in and run with it. He’s back to his old self, putting fear in everyone in training. But yeah, he’s ready.”
Jamaica also will face Costa Rica in a friendly Wednesday, March 27.
Lawrence has been a regular in the Reggae Boyz lineup for several years, starting key matches in multiple Gold Cups, World Cup qualification and Caribbean competitions.
He has 48 caps, with three goals and six assists, including a game-winning free kick goal in the 2017 Gold Cup semifinal win over Mexico.
