With a month to go before Bermuda meet Honduras in the Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary round, experienced defender Danté Leverock is racing against time to be fit.

Leverock, who has partnered Harry Twite in the centre of defence for the bulk of the matches since head coach Michael Findlay took over, is sidelined after he limped off with a heavily strapped left leg in the second half of Dandy Town’s 2-1 Premier Division loss to Devonshire Colts at Goose Gosling Field last Wednesday.

The 32-year-old is a notable absentee from Findlay's 30-man domestic squad to take on United Soccer League Championship sides Maine and Rhode Island at Flora Duffy Stadium in the Bermuda Select Invitational in the next few days.

Findlay, who will soon name the team for the two-legged tie against Honduras on March 21 and 25, is waiting for medical personnel to ascertain the extent of the defender’s injury.

“Danté Leverock was going to be involved with this domestic camp, but unfortunately we have removed him because of injury,” Findlay told The Royal Gazette.

“He is under treatment for a lower-leg injury in the calf, ankle and Achilles area, and has had a scan to get a better idea of the extent of the injury. We’ll discuss his condition with our medical staff and how that affects our final decisions for the squad in March.

“There was some concern that it was very serious in the beginning, but it is not deemed to be as serious as first thought. However, I’m unable to say if he’ll be involved in the matches in March until the medical staff say so. We should know in a week or so if there is an opportunity for recovery in time.

“We’ll always give players time to recover from injuries, but we also have to be responsible. If the player is not going to be able to perform, it bodes well for us to make sure that we have another player coming in.”

Should Leverock not recover in time for the two matches, the Bermuda Select Invitational could open doors for other players to state their case for a starting spot against Honduras.

“The domestic camp gives us an opportunity to assess other players in all positions,” the coach said.

“With regards to the centre back role, we have already identified some players as having potential in those positions, with players like Julian Carpenter having been in our senior group before.

“The good news is that we see Lejaun Simmons coming back and he is playing again. He looks healthy and needs match fitness, so it’s really exciting to see him in that situation.

“Other centre back scenarios we’re looking at are Jorg Dublin and Tahzeiko Harris, and this gives us an opportunity to assess their condition compared with other players that we already have in the group.

“It’s good to see Daniel Cook back and it will be great to see how he performs, as he hasn't been involved in recent camps.”

The domestic squad has been training in the evenings since Tuesday at North Field, National Sports Centre, ahead of the match against Hearts of Pine on Friday night.

“We’re looking forward to our match against Hearts of Pine,” Findlay said.

“It really gives us an opportunity to see how these players perform against full-time professionals. It’s also an opportunity to see how they've taken in information and direction very quickly because we haven't had a lot of time.

“Some of the players have been with us before, so they understand the concepts, game model and what their roles are. But it’s also an opportunity for others that are going to be thrown into the deep end.

“It’s going to be difficult for these players, physically and emotionally. They’re playing against teams in their initial days of their preseason, so they’re working hard on a daily basis.

“That is the challenge that is in front of us, and it’s an opportunity to see what the differences are when you talk of the environments that these players live in.”

Findlay has been boosted by the presence of Zeiko Lewis, who is hunting for a club after his time with USL League One side Union Omaha came to an end.

“We’re lucky to have Zeiko Lewis with us because he’s on island right now, so we have included him in this camp,’’ Findlay said.

“It’s great to see him being able to come in and positively affect the group. He’s one of our most experienced players and a player that’s been in full-time football. He understands the requirements and the mentality required at this level, so he’s a critical piece in helping these players.

“The expectation is that Zeiko will be part of the March camp, but there are players in this camp that will be with us in March and there are some that won’t. That will be decided based on what’s best for the team and taking into consideration our tactical plan for Honduras.

“We are also planning in advance of June, when we have the third and fourth game of World Cup qualifiers.”