Cats boss fears Jones could face new blow
Nov 12 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
ROY Keane has admitted he fears Kenwyne Jones could face another lengthy spell on the sidelines after he suffered a reaction in training to the knee injury which has kept him out since May.
Jones was not even on the bench against Portsmouth last weekend and was sent to see a specialist yesterday to determine the full extent of the damage which is on the same knee where he tore his cruciate and medial ligaments earlier this year.
Keane, having waited patiently for his star player’s return, is desperate for good news when they receive the results of a scan and the specialist’s verdict this morning.
He said: “Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious but we don’t know. Let’s see how the scan is and what the specialist says. He might say he is fine and there is every chance he can play at the weekend, or he might say it is a seven to ten days job, or a seven to ten months job. I don’t know.”
Jones has been controversially named in the Trinidad and Tobago international for a World Cup qualifier against Cuba next week, but Keane is virtually certain the former Southampton striker will not be able to travel to the Caribbean.
Keane has already clashed once this season with the Trinidad and Tobago special advisor and vice-president of Fifa, Jack Warner, over the availability of his players. But the Black Cats boss believes common sense will have to prevail this time.
He explained: “Carlos Edwards was selected for one of their games last year when he had been out a long time and I think he had to go to see someone in Birmingham just to confirm, so I would not expect Kenwyne to be going on a flight.
“Obviously, if he is not fit for us over the next few weeks, he is not going anywhere. That would be the same for any of my players. I know that sometimes they ask a player to report anyway, but to expect them to fly halfway across the world to confirm he is injured, then that would be ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, Keane has refused to get embroiled in the controversy in Ireland following Andy Reid’s omission from the latest Eire squad.
Reid’s relationship with Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni is a strained one, but Keane argued it is nothing to do with him as he declared it was up to the player to rise to the challenge and force his way back into the squad.
He said: “He seems all right to me. Why are people bemused? The manager has a choice and he has not been playing much for me recently. He had an opportunity on Saturday and we know what he is capable of doing. He might have a chance against Blackburn as well. ”
