Bermuda?s national football team will face one of their toughest Digicel Cup second round qualifying assignments without the services of inspirational sweeper and former team skipper Kentoine Jennings.

Jennings, 35, was sent off during the Island?s final Digicel first-round clash against US Virgin Islands last September in the Caribbean, and will now miss Bermuda?s crucial opening second-round contest with St. Vincent and the Grenadines in St. Michael?s, Barbados on November 19.

But in an effort to find a suitable replacement for the veteran defender, national coach Kyle Lightbourne is now leaning towards utilising the services of Boulevard?s Stanton Lewis, Devonshire Cougars? Darius Cox or possibly even Dandy Town?s Dennis Zuill to fill the void as a confident Bermuda aim to qualify for January?s Digicel Cup final in Trinidad and Tobago.

?Obviously Kentoine is a big miss in any game because he?s a quality defender and also an experienced leader on the pitch. So without a doubt he will be missed,? Lightbourne said.

?But on the other hand we do have other experienced players who can make the necessary adjustment and fill the void.?

Bermuda depart for Barbados on November 17 where they have been grouped along with St. Vincent, Bahamas and host country Barbados in Digicel Cup Group G.

Following their opening November 19 clash with St. Vincent, Bermuda take on Bahamas on two days later and Barbados on November 23 before returning home the following day.

Jennings, meanwhile, has now rejoined his national team team-mates in their preparations for the upcoming tour.

The North Village stalwart injured his right shoulder during an October 3 Martonmere Cup Group A loss to Lightbourne?s PHC Zebras and had been sidelined for several weeks.

But fortunately Jennings has now made a full recovery and is raring for the challenge that lies ahead.

?I?m feeling energised physically and ready to go,? the veteran footballer told . ?I?m not doing too much kicking at the moment, just stretching and jogging to get my fitness level up.

?So basically I?m just getting myself in the shape that I will need to be in for Barbados.?

At the age of 35, Jennings is still rated as one of the Island?s top defenders. And his valuable experience can only enhance Bermuda?s chances of progressing in the tournament.

And while Jennings regrets having to miss the St. Vincent match, he remains ?upbeat? his fellow countrymen will get the job completed in his absence.

?It?s always a disappointment not be able to play. But I think the guys are still capable of matching St. Vincent in the first match,? he added.

The former Hereford United player also fancies the draw.

?I think it?s a draw that we can adapt to and one which suits us,? he said. ?We just have to try and avoid injuries. But our team also has depth.?

Bermuda will be at full strength, with overseas based Khano Smith, John Barry Nusum and Damon Ming among those returning for the upcoming Digicel commitment.

?They are definitely going to add to what we already have in training at the moment,? Jennings added. ?And really I have no worries because this is the most confident I?ve ever felt about the team.

?I think this time around we should be more in tune with ourselves, our match fitness up to par and overall sharper in our approach.?

Still, Jennings admits qualifying for January?s finals will not be an easy undertaking.

?It?s not going to be easy, but we have already proven we can compete with some of the so-called good teams,? he said. ?I think we?re just going to have to match our opponents for strength because all the teams in the Caribbean are physically strong.

?If we can achieve this and match them and maintain our own rhythm I think we?ll be all-right because we do have the ability to create chances going forward.

?And if we can also defend well and not concede a lot of goals, then we stand a great chance of going through.?