Nathan Jones will be a notable absentee from Friday’s pre-match media duties at Stoke City, as pressure grows on his position.
The Potters, second bottom of the Championship and knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night to League Two Crawley, have instead instructed Paul Hart to take on media duties ahead of the clash with his former club Nottingham Forest on Friday night.
It’s understood Jones will not be sacked prior to the game with the Reds at the bet365 Stadium, though he counts the game as pivotal when it comes to his future at the club he joined in January.
While not the first time Jones has failed to conduct pre-match media duties, it is the first for a Championship game, with ex-Forest chief and academy boss Hart doing so for some cup games.
“However, sources at the club insist there is nothing sinister and certainly no question of the manager not being at the club any more,” say Stoke on Trent Live.
They report that Jones has been “pulled” from the 1pm commitment, owing to having lunch with chairman Peter Coates, while it’s understood Jones will conduct pre-match television interviews, for which he’s contractually obliged.
