Shrewsbury Town will be without Arkell Jude-Boyd for their upcoming League Two fixtures after the wing-back received an international call-up from Saint Lucia. The 23-year-old will travel on Wednesday to join his national team for their Concacaf Nations League matches.

Manager Gavin Cowan confirmed the player's immediate departure following Tuesday's EFL Trophy defeat at Tranmere Rovers. "This will be his final appearance for us until he comes back from international duty," Cowan said. "We are really pleased to have him. He travels tomorrow."

Jude-Boyd's absence comes as Shrewsbury look to improve on their current 18th-place standing in League Two, having taken seven points from their opening seven matches. The team's next league game is at home to Colchester United on Saturday, a fixture they will now approach without one of their summer signings.

International schedule

Saint Lucia face Barbados on Friday before taking on Bermuda next Monday in the Nations League. Jude-Boyd has already made an impact at international level, scoring on his debut in a 2-1 victory over Curacao during the 2024/25 campaign. He was named in the squad for the previous Nations League cycle but was unable to play due to documentation issues.

His call-up marks a significant personal achievement after joining Shrewsbury this summer following his departure from Cheltenham Town. He had recently returned to the starting lineup for the Tranmere match after appearing on the bench for Town's previous two league games.

Squad impact

Shrewsbury's squad depth will be tested during this period, with Jude-Boyd joining Kian McMahon-Brown, who is away with the Republic of Ireland Under-21s. The club's full list of available players can be viewed on the official squad page as they prepare for a busy schedule.

Cowan's side will be looking to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Tranmere in their last league outing. They face a Colchester side sitting just three places above them in 15th, with the full run of upcoming fixtures available on the club's fixtures schedule. Jude-Boyd is expected to rejoin the squad after Saint Lucia's match against Bermuda concludes their international window.

This story first appeared at Shropshire Star