Unclear future for Doncaster Rovers' longest-serving player amid logjam in his position

The goalkeeper, who is the club's longest-serving player having signed his first professional deal in 2017, is one of many out of contract this coming summer.

Jones, aged 26, has not played for the club since a cameo off the bench on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign. He came on that day at Gillingham after Thimothee Lo-Tutala saw red - a decision which was later rescinded meaning the loanee was able to feature in the play-off semi-finals.

Jones was then loaned out to Irish side Waterford but played just six times and failed to keep a clean sheet. The last of those outings came in September and upon his return to Rovers he was ineligible to play until January. But he is well down the pecking order at DN4, behind first choice loan stopper Ted Sharman-Lowe and backup Ian Lawlor.

The news that Chelsea have confirmed Sharman-Lowe will be staying in South Yorkshire until the end of the season - opting not to invoke a recall clause - does potentially open the door for Jones to leave this month. Add in the presence of young custodians Jake Oram and Jacob Bryant and manager Grant McCann has a deep goalkeeping pool at his disposal.

He told the Free Press: "Jake has come back from a loan and he's still in and around us. We just had to be careful with the goalkeeping situation because there was a recall for Ted to go back to Chelsea but we've got it in writing he'll be staying.

"And then we've also got to be mindful with Louis because if he played for us then another club came in for him then he couldn't play.

"We have to be really careful and make a decision on whether Louis goes out and plays some games or we keep him around until the end of the season. There's different permutations around it all. But we've five goalkeepers, including Jacob Bryant who trains with us."

The winter transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, February 3.