CONOR Wickham missed Charlton Athletic’s 1-1 draw at Fleetwood Town on Saturday with a thigh problem.
Wickham, 30, made his debut as a 72nd-minute substitute in the 3-2 win against Carlisle last weekend, his first competitive minutes in ten months.
Wickham will have time to build up his fitness as Charlton’s next game is not until March 29 at Exeter City.
“He felt his thigh after the game last week so he hasn’t trained properly,” Jones told Charlton TV. “He trained a couple of days but wasn’t at full tilt.
“We could have done with him today, it was the type of game that probably would have suited him really well but it wasn’t to be.
“We’ll see how he recovers and go from there.”
Charlton made it eight games unbeaten after Alfie May gave them the lead from the penalty spot a minute into first-half added-time, his 21st League One goal of the season.
The visitors held that lead until the 84th minute when Ryan Graydon levelled for Charlie Adam’s side.
“I don’t think a Football League pitch should be like this. For whatever reason, I don’t know, but I don’t want to comment too much on it,” Jones said through chattering teeth on a typically brutal early March evening on the Fylde coast.
“It made any kind of football in the game nigh-on very difficult. And then the wind took away any chance of a decent spectacle. It’s one of those things, it’s EFL football and it was a brutal game today.
“I’m really disappointed [with the goal conceded] because we lost a header, we didn’t go with the runner, we lost another challenge, then another challenge, and then they tapped it in off the post. So I’m really disappointed because it was four things that could have happened better, and didn’t.
“It came from a throw-in, so that’s really, really disappointing. It’s probably an even result but when you lead going into the 83rd [minute], whatever it was, then you expect to see it out but we didn’t. We’ll have a look at that.”
Jones questioned Charlton’s fixture list. After they have played Exeter, five of their previous six games will have been away from home.
Four of their last six fixtures will be at The Valley.
“I’ve had nine games and I think we’ve had six away and then the next game I think is away, so that will be seven and three [at home],” he said.
“I just don’t understand how that can happen.
“Then we go with three home games, so we will really be able to assess it in about four games’ time when we will have had a similar type of games.”
Charlton are ten points above the relegation zone after being just three above the bottom four when he took over in January.
“It’s another game,” Jones said. “It’s a positive point. It keeps people away from us. It’s just about keeping the momentum going and keeping winning. We can’t win everything.
“I’m really pleased with the position we’re in, considering the position we were in when I came in. We’ve had a positive reaction. We’re eight games unbeaten which, at any level in world football, is good.”
Despite the awful conditions, 551 Addicks fans made the trip.
Jones said: “They’re phenomenal. To travel up here with the distance, the cost, the weather – it shows they’re magnificent.
“It’s just a real shame that we couldn’t have given them three points to go home with. But they’ve seen another honest display.”
