The senior national football team has been hit by a paucity of goal-keepers leading up to the return CONCACAF World Cup qualifier game against Grenada and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) may have to look overseas to fill the breach.

At a press conference held at the GFF headquarters yesterday Technical Director Neider Dos Santos disclosed that at present 19-year-old Andrew Durant is the only encamped custodian eligible for selection for the return game making more difficult the nationals' chances of sneaking into the next round of the competition.

First choice keeper Richard Reynolds is out with a broken hand. The second choice, Marlon Hendricks, was red-carded during Saturday's 5-0 lost to Grenada.

Reynolds, who plays professional football in Suriname, sustained the injury during a friendly against Barbados in Bridgetown and will be out for a month.

FIFA rules stipulate that Hendricks will have to miss the next game. Adding to the goalkeeping jinx, Under-23 first choice keeper Fidel Smith, who was called to replace Reynolds, injured his wrist in a practice session and has been sidelined.

Following the press conference a source close to the GFF said the organisation has started a search in Europe to come up with a goal-keeper to complete the bench.

The source pointed to England as the heart of the search, saying at least one person has been identified. "They [the GFF] are now checking to see if that person is eligible. If he has the right size and weight among other things," the source said.

However, other local goalkeepers have not been ruled out. Meanwhile, Dos Santos, when quizzed on the situation said it is indeed grave.

"This is a serious problem. The goal-keeping department is very important in any game," Dos Santos lamented. The Brazilian was however confident that the matter will be resolved soon. "I'm certain that it will be sorted out early in the next week," he said.

Guyana play Grenada in the return game on March 14 at the Blairmont ground in Berbice and need to win by six clear goals to meet the USA in the next round.

The seniors returned from Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday after going down to a Trinidad side 1-0 one day before.