According to the Athletic, Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones reportedly had “serious distress” after an injury setback earlier in the season.
The latest injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have pushed the English centre-back into the spotlight. He isn’t a Premier League player and hasn’t been able to participate in a single practice session all year.
Given that the team is now depending on Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof to stay fit, some United supporters have recommended Jones as a replacement for Varane and Martinez.
The Athletic claims that the England international won’t be playing again anytime soon. According to rumours, Jones, who appeared five times last season, is not listed on Erik Ten Hag’s Premier League roster.
The 31-year-old won’t be making an unexpected comeback even though he is eligible to play in the FA Cup and the Red Devils are scheduled to play Brighton the following weekend. Jones is not considered an option because he hasn’t been able to finish a single training session this entire season.
And this is despite the fact that the 31-year-old worked incredibly hard during the offseason to make sure he could leave his mark and compete for his future at the club.
Jones has never been able to regain his previous level of fitness. He has tried many specialists throughout the years, but the issue continues to persist. He was passed over for both the Premier League and the Europa League roster.
The centre-back renewed his contract in 2019 and his current contract is set to expire this summer. But United has the option of extending it by an additional 12 months.
However, that is not expected to occur, as all indications point to the fact that the Red Devils will let Jones leave at the end of the current campaign.
Surprisingly, Jones was a commentator for Sky Sports when Manchester United defeated Newcastle 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final in February.
