Amari’i Bell was among the Jamaica players who were forced to fly home after being refused entry into Japan over a Covid test result certificate.

Ahead of their scheduled friendly with Japan today, which has since been cancelled, Bell was among nine Europe-based players were prevented from boarding the connecting flight in Amsterdam and forced to return home to have the specific test required to gain entry into the country.

The players had negative test result certificates, but not the nasal only test that is required for entry to Japan, according to the Jamaica Observer.

That has forced the cancellation of today’s scheduled friendly in Sapporo, with only 10 players making it to Japan, but games against Serbia on Monday and the Japanese Olympic side on June 12 are now set to go ahead with the whole squad set to meet up in full again in the coming days.

“What is important now is to have the players and then we can plan accordingly. We have to wait and see what time the players get here, and then we take it from there,” boss Theodore Whitmore said.

“We know that Serbia is a good quality team and I have been watching them the last couple of games, so we do know a bit about them. So, it's just for us to get in our players and see how we approach this game.”

Bell won his first cap for Jamaica in March after pledging his allegiance to the Reggae Boyz, one of a host of English based players who were handed their first call-ups.

This camp could be the start of a busy summer for Bell who is searching for a new club following his release by Rovers, with Jamaica set to take part in the Gold Cup next month.

The 26-year-old will be a free agent this summer after his release by Rovers, departing Ewood Park after 99 appearances following a move from Fleetwood Town in January 2018.

He went onto be a regular in the side, but never nailed down the left back spot, despite finishing the season with three successive starts as he kept loanee Barry Douglas out of the side.

Bell, along with Liam Moore, Curtis Tilt, Wes Harding, Kasey Palmer, Adrian Mariappa, Andre Gray, Dillon Barnes and Blair Turgott were all forced to fly home, and national team boss Whitmore was disappointed the game had to be postponed.

He added: “We came here with our minds set on playing three games and tomorrow would have been the first encounter against the Japan team. We wanted to see how we would match up to them, so yes, I am disappointed, but it is what it is.”