Barcelona midfielder played through pain in international duty with the Netherlands
Frenkie de Jong has been ruled out of Barcelona’s opening games of the season after medical tests confirmed the midfielder has suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
The 29-year-old avoided surgery but will continue treatment under Barcelona’s medical staff, with the club monitoring his recovery in the coming weeks. The Spanish champions have not provided a timeline for his return, although he is expected to miss the opening weeks of the new season.
De Jong played throughout the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign before being substituted during extra time of their last-32 defeat to Morocco, appearing to struggle with the injury.
The midfielder said initial assessments during the tournament suggested the problem was minor and would not worsen if he continued playing. He later underwent further tests in Barcelona, which revealed the injury was more serious than first thought.
“Normally, I don’t pay much attention to what is being written about me, the team or the club. But recently, there’s been a lot of speculation about my injury and my situation at Barca,” De Jong said in a statement.
“It’s difficult for me to see people questioning my relationship and commitment to the club because of false reports. Football is everything to me, and I have always given everything I have for FC Barcelona and my country. I am now fully focused on my recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible.”
De Jong said he had previously played through discomfort when he felt he could help his club or country.
“During the World Cup, I injured my knee. After the first assessments, the doctors told me it was a small injury and that it wouldn’t get worse if I continued playing,” he said.
“The only challenge was playing with some pain, but throughout my career I have done that whenever I could contribute to the team, both for my club and my country.”
Barcelona confirmed the ligament tear on Friday and said: “The player will continue to receive treatment and be monitored by medical staff, pending his recovery over the coming weeks.”
De Jong has been on and off the pitch for Barcelona with fitness problems since he arrived at the club. He missed 16 matches last season because of muscular issues and illness, although he still featured 38 times in all competitions as the Catalan side won La Liga and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.
In De Jong’s absence, Barcelona can expect cover with several midfield options available. Pedri, Gavi, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado are all free to play, and Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen have also been used in deep-lying midfield roles.
