Jermaine Jones handed 8-week suspension

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)

Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones has been suspended for eight weeks after the American was charged with intentionally stepping on an opponent's injured foot.

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After first saying it intended to appeal, Schalke said Thursday it will accept the penalty.

The control committee of the federation found Jones intentionally stepped on the left foot of Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus during a Bundesliga match last month. Reus was nursing a broken left small toe and was playing with a specially designed shoe. He still scored two goals in a 3-1 win for his team.

The incident early in the game was not noticed by the referee, but was caught by television cameras. The disciplinary panel used video footage to file ''grave misconduct'' charges against Jones, who was ejected at the end of the match in an unrelated incident. It was the fourth red card of his career.

Jones is be banned from any competitive and exhibition matches until March 1. He will miss six Bundesliga games and two Europa League games but remains eligible for selection for the U.S. national team's exhibition game at Italy on Feb. 29.

Jones, who has made 14 appearances for the United States national team, apologized to Reus shortly after the incident.