Chicago (AFP) – US midfielders Jermaine Jones and Sacha Kljestan were sent home from the team’s training camp a day after the Americans’ goal-less draw with Serbia, US coach Bruce Arena announced Monday.
Their departure leaves 21 players from Major League Soccer for Arena’s lineup in the squad’s camp-ending Friday friendly against Jamaica at Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Sunday’s match at San Diego marked Arena’s return to the US sideline after the firing of German legend Jurgen Klinsmann following two defeats to open the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifying.
Arena, 65, had guided the Americans into the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals but was not retained after 2006 following a first-round World Cup exit.
Jones will be suspended for the next US qualifying match on March 24 against Honduras at San Jose, California, so Arena allowed him to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy — Arena’s employers until his USA return — and prepare for the upcoming MLS campaign.
Kljestan was allowed to leave because his wife is expecting a baby in the next week.
No European-based US players were called upon for the training session because of the ongoing club campaigns overseas while MLS does not begin a new season until March.
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