SEATTLE – Jermaine Jones will not play in Tuesday’s game vs. Panama, but he is a possibility to return for next week’s World Cup qualifier vs. Honduras.
US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann confirmed the midfield enforcer will be held out of the game here at CenturyLink Field (10 pm ET, ESPN/UniMas, live chat on MLSsoccer.com). Jones is suffering from concussion-like symptoms after an aerial collision with Jamaica defender Daniel Gordon in the second half of the US’ 2-1 victory in Kingston last Friday.
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He was evaluated by a neurologist on Monday and Klinsmann said the Schalke man is “fine, doing great,” but hasn’t progressed enough for a run-out on Tuesday.
“We obviously take things seriously, we don’t want to do anything risky,” Klinsmann said at a press conference on Monday. “So we’ll just be cautious and keep him out tomorrow night’s game, and he will be back for the game in Salt Lake City.”
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Geoff Cameron remains the most obvious replacement for Jones should Klinsmann go for a like-for-like swap. The ex-Houston Dynamo man subbed into that spot after Jones left Friday’s match and has experience there – he played extensively in central midfield during his MLS days and was often deployed there at Stoke City this past season.
Forward/winger Herculez Gomez, meanwhile, has been released from camp and is returning to Los Angeles for further treatment and fitness work on his troublesome right knee. A regular for Klinsmann over the past year, he suffered a bone contusion toward the end of this past Liga MX season while playing for Santos Laguna and has not seen any action for the USMNT during this current camp.
Jonah Freedman is the managing editor of MLSsoccer.com.
