“We only want to focus on this year’s league. As for whether Mikel will play, it depends on whether Jonathan can recover.”….Stielike
Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel will continue to warm the bench as long as Jonathan fit to play, Tianjin Teda of China coach Uli Stielike has stated.
Though the German ex-international rubbished speculation linking Mikel with a transfer from the Chinese Super League club this summer, Stielike admitted that the Eagles’ star’s chances of stating matches this season depends of Jonathan’s presence.
Stielike ruled out any chance of Mikel leaving before the expiration of his contract at the end of this season, but he admitted that the former Chelsea midfielder lost his spot in his Tianjin-based side’s starting line-up after recovering from a knee injury.
Stielike stated: “I don’t know about this news, and I am not interested. We only want to focus on this year’s league. As for whether Mikel will play, it depends on whether Jonathan can recover.”
