Erik ten Hag has revealed that since taking over as manager of Manchester United in May, Phil Jones has not even finished a single training session.
The 30-year-old defender will be allowed to leave the club when his contract ends in the summer, and his attitude over the past several years surely explains it. He has only made two starts in the previous three seasons. The center-back has seldom ever been seen at United’s Carrington training facility, where he was last seen in October while he awaited a meeting in the lobby.
Jones overcame a knee injury to be available for most of last season, but it seems likely that he won’t play for United in what will undoubtedly be his final season with the club.
Did you know that Phil Jones signed for United on 1st July 2011. He has survived Ferguson, Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, Giggs, Mourinho, Ole, Carrick, Ralf, and Ten Hag. He's never sold or released and Utd will renew his contract. He earns £4.5 million per year from United for nothing. pic.twitter.com/GZnpeBgWst
— Football Accumulator (@footballacca) January 24, 2023
While speaking to the club’s official website about Jones’ status at the club, Ten Hag said:
“No, it’s not been taken until now. The decision about that is for the summer, but for the whole season he’s injured. I can’t say (if Jones will play again this season). What I can say is that he’s not available for training since the first day of training this season so I think there’s not an opportunity for you to recover quickly and be available quickly.”
United has the option to extend his contract by one year, but they are very unlikely to do so due to the defender’s history of injuries. Jones missed the whole 2020–21 campaign and made his return in the 1-0 loss to the Wolves at home in January 2020, over two years after his last outing.
The lone other start for the former England international came in the 4-0 drubbing at Liverpool in April, but he was taken off at halftime. Jones has started 16 games since signing a four-and-a-half-year contract in February 2019, and he has played for 90 minutes on 12 different occasions.
