BY VINODE MAMCHAN

THE T&T Football Federation (TTFF) will no longer request through Fifa that Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones be ruled ineligible to play for Sunderland in Saturday’s match against West Ham United.

Both players were needed by the Warriors for their friendly international against Jamaica at Kingston tomorrow but were denied permission by their Premier league club Sunderland on the basis of being injured.

TTFF special advisor and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner told G-Sports yesterday that the TTFF was in the process of preparing the document to send to Fifa but he had a discussion with Sunderland manager Roy Keane and former Soca Warriors captain Dwight Yorke and they have decided not to pursue the matter with Fifa.

Warner said :”We have spoken to Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke and after the amicable discussion we had, we have decided to drop the matter with Fifa.

“We have also decided that in the future when similar problems arise, we will deal with it together rather than going to the media first.”

The Sunderland medical staff, in communication with T&T team Doctor Terrence Babwah explained that Jones was still recovering from a virus and was unfit to travel.

Sunderland physiotherapist Peter Friar, stated that Edwards suffered a groin problem in training on Friday. However he was declared fit and managed to play 67 minutes for Sunderland in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa. Friar said Edwards was still experiencing tightness in the groin and his hip was impinging in its adducted/medial rotation quadrant.

Babwah requested an MRI of the injury as well as an independent examination as has occurred in the past.

However Sunderland refused, stating that it was unnecessary for Edwards to undergo the MRI as well as get an independent assessment.

A Fifa ruling states that in such instances, the country’s governing body can enforce action whereby the player does not take part in training or in a match over a five-day period following the date of the match he was requested to be released for.