More than half of Kyle Lightbourne?s national side will be coming from overseas for the Digicel Cup tournament in the US Virgin Islands later this month.

Bermuda will be taking on the hosts, the British Virgin Island and the Dominican Republic in the first steps on the long road to the Gold Cup and are favourites to battle their way through the group.

Preparations have been hampered by a lack of matches ? the national team hasn?t played since the Shaun Goater testimonial against Southend back in June ? but the side should be boosted by a number of players returning from playing stints overseas.

Although Goater is now retired ? and off the Island that week promoting his forthcoming autobiography ? Khano Smith, Damon Ming, Kevin Richards, Taurean Manders, Tyrell Burgess, Nigel Burgess and John Barry Nusum are all set to return for the tournament.

And for a coach whose comments on the first day he got the job were that he wanted his whole team playing abroad, that is a very pleasing fact.

?To have so many of the team playing in some form or other abroad is great for us,? said Lightbourne, a former UK professional himself.

?The guys are all going to come in having been training every day and playing in a more professional environment so I think they are all going to bring something extra to the team.

?It?s a good situation for us to have guys involved in the game abroad and at a higher level than they would be playing here in Bermuda.

?My assistant Paul Scope has been in touch with all the clubs concerned and we are hoping to get all the players back for the matches.?

The appearances of Smith, who has recently returned from a long-term injury and has started making substitute appearances again for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer, and Ming, who started his first game for Nationwide South side Hayes on Saturday, are particularly welcome with those players, as well as the Virginia Beach Mariners? Nusum, now the key pros for the side.

The return of the overseas players is especially welcome given the lack of recent national team games and even domestic matches ? and the concerns over fitness and match sharpness ahead of a gruelling three-matches-in-five-days schedule.

Lightbourne?s men haven?t played since June and the domestic season isn?t likely to begin much before the tour, making the punishing schedule all the more tough.

?It?s always hard playing three games so quickly after each other,? said Lightbourne, whose side were dumped out of the Digicel two years after failing to get a result in the final game.

?There is always the worry about injuries. Last time we had three guys hurt and that made things really difficult for us. The guys not playing yet isn?t ideal but we are hoping to arrange a practice game next week against the Under 21s and most of the clubs are playing pre-season games.?

But Lightbourne is confident that his side will do well thanks to a mixture of the overseas players and also the make up of the opposition.

Last time Bermuda played the British Virgin Island there were a number of players in their side who have since been ruled ineligible, possibly paving the way for a return to the days when they were beatable.

?That team has been looked into since we made our complaint last time,? added Lightbourne.

?It looks like they have said that something was wrong and some of those guys shouldn?t have played ? that means they should be back to the old team we are used to playing against.?

Lightbourne?s team leave for the US Virgin Island on September 22.

The women?s national team face the toughest of tests today when they take on Jamaica in their Gold Cup qualification tournament.

Playing in Trinidad, Vance Brown?s side also take on the mighty Haiti.