Kenwyne Jones may clash with Keane over Cuba

Nov 11 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

ROY Keane could be heading for another collision course with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association after Kenwyne Jones was named in their squad for a World Cup qualifier with Cuba next week.

Jones has only recently returned from a serious knee injury which was initially expected to sideline him for much of the season and Keane is adamant he still needs to be careful with the striker’s rehabilitation.

As a result, Sunderland’s manager will not be happy to let the striker travel to Trinidad with Black Cats team-mate Dwight Yorke for an international match when he was not considered to be fit enough for a place on the bench against Portsmouth last weekend.

However, if Jones is willing to make the long journey to the Caribbean there is little his club manager can do to stop him as Fifa rules stipulate clubs must release their players for a competitive international. Even if they are injured, an international association has the right to demand their release so they can be assessed by their own doctors.

Keane clashed spectacularly with Trinidad and Tobago’s special advisor Jack Warner earlier this season over the availability of Dwight Yorke, labelling the vice-president of Fifa a “clown” in a withering attack. And there appeared to be an element of satisfaction in Warner’s comments yesterday as he welcomed Jones back into the squad for the first time since he injured his knee playing against England in a friendly back in May and even hinted the player had requested to be considered.

Warner said: “We are happy to have him back in the team. At first he was not called

into the squad because of the fact that he was only now coming back from injury and we all know how difficult it can be for a player to get back to his accustomed place in the starting team for a club. We felt that it would serve him well to allow him that time.

“But when he indicated that he wanted to make a return for the Cuba game, we thought about it and we went ahead with the invitation.

“It will give him a chance to fit back into the team before the critical matches we should have coming up next year, once of course we seal our spot with a positive result against Cuba.

“We were in touch on Saturday, Dwight (Yorke) and myself as well, and both players are looking forward to the match on November 19 with a high amount of interest.”

Keane has always maintained he does not have any problem with players representing their country, but this is a delicate issue given the previous acrimony between Keane and Warner, as well as the sensitive nature of Jones’ rehabilitation.

The 24-year-old revealed in an interview with The Journal last week that, although he is delighted and relieved to have returned to action so quickly, he admitted he is still not fully fit as he has not got his full mobility back.

This would appear to strengthen Keane’s argument he should not be risked in an international game which also requires a gruelling transatlantic flight. Meanwhile, while Jones was restored to the international fold yesterday, Andy Reid was left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the friendly against Poland next week, fuelling speculation the Sunderland midfielder has fallen out with Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni.

Although Trapattoni insisted last month he has not had a problem with Reid, the former Tottenham and Charlton player has not featured in a single game under him and is understood to have made his frustration known during the last round of World Cup qualifiers.

Trapattoni yesterday instead handed Blackburn midfielder Keith Andrews his first call-up following his impressive start to the Premier League season.