Keane to lose Edwards and Jones.
By: Ian Laws (Sunderland Echo).[/size]
Roy Keane is resigned to losing Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones to a gruelling Caribbean trip in the run-up to next weekend's clash with West Ham United. The Black Cats' pair are in the Trinidad & Tobago squad for Wednesday's friendly in Jamaica and are set to jet across the Atlantic after Sunderland's game at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Keane has made it clear he is unimpressed with the call-ups for two pivotal players, who now face a 9,000-mile round trip and will probably not return until the eve of the home game with the Hammers.
Edwards is only just back from a broken leg and Jones looked jaded after he took part in last month's friendly against Guadeloup in Trinidad.
Fifa rules state the players must be released for this date, and Keane says it was pointless asking for them to be left out. He said: "I didn't ask them for to be excused – I don't think it would be worth it, really. You have to try and treat every player and every country with the same respect.
"So there's nothing to be resolved – they are just like any other players who are selected. We don't have a choice in it. They'll play at the weekend and then off they'll go."
The Premier League campaign is at a tense stage at both ends of the table and the midweek internationals – all friendlies – have not been well received by managers who can ill-afford injuries.
Keane said: "I'm not a great fan of international friendlies – I wasn't a great fan of friendlies even as a player. I can understand why the international managers want them and I can understand the idea behind it, but the timing of these friendlies, at this stage of the season, is pretty crazy. And I'm sure every other manager up and down the country will be saying exactly the same."
Jones was in scintillating form against Chelsea last weekend and Sunderland need to keep him as fresh as possible because of the role he is likely to play in Sunderland's survival bid. Edwards returned from a three-and-a-half-month lay-off when he faced Chelsea and Keane sees him as a vital member of his squad for the run-in.
Kenwyne Jones has been described as the Premier League’s most potent threat by the man charged with combating him at the weekend.
Chelsea captain John Terry was given the task of marking Sunderland’s top scorer at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and although it was the England defender who broke his scoring drought in the Blues’ 1-0 win, it was Jones who was the talk of the visiting dressing room afterwards.
“He was fantastic and I have played against him twice now,” enthused Terry of Jones. “He is a very good player, very hard working and probably the best in the air in the entire Premier League. He really is that good. All the lads are talking about him afterwards, how well he did and how impressive he was.”
Twice in the latter stages of the game Jones’ prodigious leap created good chances for him. But the 6ft 2in Trinidad and Tobago international failed to take either and has now gone 10 games without scoring. Nevertheless Terry, who scored his first goal in 65 Chelsea appearances at the Stadium of Light, recognised the importance of the £6m signing from Southampton.
“If Sunderland can stay up and keep hold of him they have a fantastic chance of kicking on,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Roy Keane has admitted that he may try to bring former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan back to England, if the Black Cats avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The 28-year-old Uruguay international has been a massive hit in Spain with both Villarreal and now Atletico Madird, having been rumoured to be a Black Cats target last summer.
Keane told reporters: "I think we got linked with Diego last summer as well.
"As much as I think he's a top player, I think the priority for us at the moment is to stay in the Premier League.
"We have a few targets which we'll hopefully bring into the club in the summer, but obviously that will all depend on what league we're in.
"But we still believe we will be in the Premier League and if I was told that Diego was available, then maybe I would be interested."