Man Utd stance on Phil Jones return emerges as Ten Hag eyes Martinez and Varane replacements

A rare update on the status of Manchester United defender Phil Jones has emerged after the injuries suffered by centre-back duo Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

Martinez fractured a metatarsal bone in his foot during Thursday's 2-2 draw against Sevilla in the Europa League, and will be out for the rest of the season.

Varane, meanwhile, will be out for a few weeks, although the exact injury the Frenchman has suffered is yet to be confirmed.

With United in Premier League action against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, manager Erik ten Hag will need to turn to other options as replacements.

Now, a new update has been given on Jones, who hasn't played for United since May 2022.

Phil Jones update given

The 31-year-old centre-back is not available for Sunday's clash due to not being named in the 25-man Premier League squad.

However, he is eligible to play in next weekend's FA Cup semi-final against Brighton next Sunday.

But according to the Daily Express, Jones is not in contention to play any of United's upcoming matches, meaning a return to action for the defender appears to be off the cards.

Despite having not been named in a matchday squad under Ten Hag, updates on Jones have been scarce. He is out of contract at the end of the season, and during the Carabao Cup final in February, between United and Newcastle, the former Blackburn starlet was a pundit on Sky Sports.

Ten Hag confirmed in January that Jones had been injured for the whole season to that point, and did not know whether he would play for the club again.

He said (quotes via Manchester Evening News): "I can't say. 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."