So the United States has said that Jermaine Jones will be available for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers this month against Jamaica and Panama. This came after the Schalke 04 madman told German rag BILD that he would be out at least a month due to knee surgery after the club suspended him from Tuesday's Champions League trip to Basel. Jones later retracted that claim on Twitter, but Schalke chairman Clemens Tonnies was said to be furious.
In any case, it is clear that the lunatic Jones has has no future at Schalke, according to the Rheinische Post. As usual, these are troubled times at Schalke, who have six points from two European matches but just eight from seven in Germany to languish in 14th place - fitting for a club that has gone through 14 coaches in the last decade with Jens Keller currently occupying the hot seat.
Some are suggesting Jones is a scapegoat for Schalke, but here's some food for thought about what the darling of US coach Jurgen Klinsmann is doing for his club.
Jones has started five of seven league games for Schalke. The Royal Blues have surrendered 16 goals in those starts. The other two matches, you ask? Clean sheets against Leverkusen (one of the league's highest scoring teams) and Mainz. It goes without saying that had Jones started every league match Schalke would have shipped the most goals in Germany - a direct reflection on what a 'destroyer' like Jones is supposed to prevent.
No, Jones has earned his place on the bench on merit and if he is in the team this weekend, don't expect him to start. What this means for the United States national team remains to be seen, but you can be rest assured that Klinsmann will figure something out since he has masterminded some of this country's greatest footballing moments.
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