Jurgen Klinsmann wants Landon Donovan to know he remains in the German’s doghouse. Hundshaus, I suppose it would be.

I get it. I’m sure Landon does, too. Klinsmann wants everyone to know who’s the boss of the U.S. national team.

On one level, I have no problem with what he is doing. On another, I do.

Last week, Klinsmann told reporters: “There are players clearly ahead of Landon Donovan right now.” In the U.S. national team, that is.

That would be a function of Landon’s three-plus month break from the game. During which he took off a winter for only the second time in five years, having spent the MLS offseason with Bayern Munich in 2009 and with Everton for both 2010 and 2012.

During his absence, he missed a U.S. team camp and three World Cup final-round qualifying matches –a win, a loss and a draw.

The concept that Landon needs to win back his job … that’s fair. Someone else played while he was gone. Fair.

But will it remain fair, for Landon having a chance to win back his job? Which leads to my concern with Klinsmann’s statements: That he is in grudge-holding mode, and will continue to stay there to punish Landon. Even when it almost certainly would be self-destructive.

Klinsmann already seemed less than friendly towards Landon, before the break. (During which Landon was not exactly sitting on his couch, doing nothing, as we see here.) Perhaps because the player is far more popular in the U.S. than is the coach, and the coach doesn’t like that. Certainly, Landon’s absence did not make Klinsmann’s heart grow fonder.

However, let’s consider some numbers.

49. Goals scored by Landon for the U.S. national team, a record, in 144 matches.

2. Goals scored by the U.S. national team in the three matches Landon missed. His history of one-goal-per-every-three-matches suggests he would have scored in one of those games.

1. Career goals scored for the national team by Graham Zusi/Brek Shea, in 18 national team appearances. Those guys would appear to be who played, in Mexico City, because Landon was not available. (The latter coming on as a sub for the former.)

Zusi and/or Shea might be better players than Landon Donovan. Some day. Five years from now, maybe, when Landon (now 31) is retired or on the verge of it.

Klinsmann’s “there are guys ahead of him” came five days after Landon scored his first goal since returning to his club, the LA Galaxy. He also had an assist in a 2-0 victory. After the match he said: “Hey, Jurgen, don’t count the old guy out just yet, I still have a little bit left to give.”

Actually, that is what he said — minus the “Hey, Jurgen.”

If Landon is scoring regularly for the Galaxy, a month from now, it will be damaging to the U.S. team if Klinsmann ignores him. You wouldn’t think that would be possible; Klinsmann must have some sense of self-preservation.

But his demeanor towards Landon has always been one of suspicion and disappointment.

I still worry where this is headed.

This week, Jason Davis of ESPN noted that Klinsmann’s previous comments had been aimed at Landon, not at fans.

And Davis is right.

This is more personal than it should be. A productive Landon should not be ignored by Klinsmann, but I’m beginning to wonder if he will be.