Morgan Day, Tristan Prattley and Darren Overton will miss this weekend's Soccersouth Premier League, and will be attending a New Zealand Under-20 training camp instead.
The under-20 players have several training camps scheduled before the final squad is selected to travel to Tahiti for the Oceania qualifying stages of the Fifa Under-20 competition in September.
Patrick Fleming would also have been invited but Caversham's talented young striker will not be back in Dunedin until next week. Fleming is expected to join later in the two remaining under-20 camps.
‘‘Patrick has enjoyed his stint in the US with St Francis team in Pennsylvania, and did quite well in scoring seven goals, six of which were in single-goal wins,'' Caversham coach Steve Fleming said of his son.
Fleming said it would be good to have the young striker back to bolster Caversham's SPL campaign, especially with several injuries plaguing his squad.
However, even with a weakened squad, Caversham will be a severe test for the Otago Youth Development squad in today's 12.45pm SPL match at the Caledonian ground.
School holiday sporting commitments have hit the Youth squad, too, and may require assistant coaches Andy Duncan and Matt Scoles to play.
Despite only having 12 available Youth players, coach Neil Mackenzie's team earned a 2-nil win over Grants Braes last week.
‘‘The win was a morale booster, and we are pleased with the squad's discipline, team shape and the goals scored. Caversham will be another big step up, since they are chasing their fifth successive SPL championship.''
Top team Roslyn-Wakari has a bye this weekend, but second-placed Dunedin Technical travels to Invercargill to play Spirit FC.
Coach Mike Fridge's side should be too strong but Invercargill has, in the past, been the scene of many upsets.
A closer encounter should take place at Memorial Park, where Mosgiel plays University at 2.45pm. Phil Kelly hit a hat trick in Mosgiel's 4-1 win over Spirit last week, and the striker will be after more goals this week.
Defensive drills were the order of the day for University training after being mauled 7-nil by Technical, and the return of Dom Deyank should stiffen up University's defence.
Another square go will take place at 2.45pm at Sunnyvale where Green Island and Northern will both try to increase their identical tally of four goals scored. Coach Steve Brook may be more concerned with the Magpie defence, which has leaked 12 goals in two matches.
On its home ground at Ocean Grove, Grants Braes plays the exotic Queenstown side and local coach Allan Laidler aims to pick up points from the Central Otago side.
Despite missing the experience of Robbie Mitchell and Brendon Hollander, the Braes coach feels his young side is improving each week.
Queenstown, now coached by Jamie Whitmarsh, has recruited former Otago United midfielder Matt Stares, and with the samba style of Jose Gomes, Thiago and Petro Netto, and the strength of Ruy Pires in defence, the visitors will be hard to stop.
