Charlton boss clears up mystery of defender’s absence at end of last season – and makes clear he is a key man

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has revealed that Lloyd Jones’ absence from his matchday squads at the end of last season was purely to allow a knee injury to be resolved.

The 28-year-old centre-back signed on a free transfer from Cambridge United last summer and made 36 appearances in all competitions.

But Jones did not feature after the start of March.

The Addicks boss has emphasised that the former Liverpool youngster is a big part of his plans for the 2024-25 League One campaign.

Jones told the South London Press: “He picked up a minor thing with his knee. He was playing with discomfort, to be fair to him. It came to a point that he couldn’t do that any more or it was affecting his performance.

“He got suspended in probably one of his last games for us, so when he got suspended it gave him an opportunity to get a little bit of a rest. But it didn’t quite clear up. So what we did was just take him out – we had others (who could play) – and we knew we were safe.

“What we’ve done is just prepare Lloydy for this season. It wasn’t selection (that saw him omitted). Yes, absolutely (he is part of his plans). And he was doing well for us. He is the type – athletic, aggressive and size – that can get better here. We want him to really knuckle down and find a really good home.

“It was a minor injury but he was playing with pain for quite a long time.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD