Frenkie de Jong, midfielder for Barcelona, is set to miss the beginning of the upcoming season and may face several months on the sidelines due to a knee ligament injury.
At 29 years old, De Jong featured in all four matches for the Netherlands during the recent World Cup, where the team exited in the round of 32 against Morocco, but returned to Barcelona with an injury this week.
“Medical evaluations have confirmed that De Jong has sustained a tear of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee,” stated the Spanish champions on Thursday.
“The player will continue treatment under the watch of the club’s medical team, with his recovery monitored in the coming weeks.”
Barcelona has not disclosed the expected duration of De Jong’s recovery, although surgery is not currently deemed necessary.
Nonetheless, a source indicated to ESPN that he will definitely miss the LaLiga opener against Elche on August 23, and could potentially be unavailable for several months.
Later on Thursday, De Jong addressed his injury, responding to claims that he chose to prioritize the national team over Barcelona by playing through the pain during the World Cup.
“It’s disheartening to see people questioning my dedication to the club based on inaccurate reports,” De Jong expressed.
“Football means everything to me. I have always given my all for both Barcelona and my national team, which is why I want to clarify what happened.
“During the World Cup, I sustained a knee injury. Initial assessments from doctors suggested it was a minor issue and that continuing to play wouldn’t exacerbate it.
“The only challenge was enduring some pain, but throughout my career, I’ve done that whenever I can support the team, whether for my club or country.
“Further examinations in Barcelona revealed the injury was more serious than first believed. Fortunately, there is currently no need for surgery, and my focus is now on recovery and returning to the field as quickly as possible.”
De Jong faced various fitness challenges last season, primarily muscle-related. He missed 11 matches towards the end of the season due to a hamstring issue, but he returned to play for his country at the World Cup in North America.
After logging 90, 59, and 72 minutes in the group stage against Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, he played 110 minutes in the Netherlands’ penalty shootout loss to Morocco.
After the match against Elche, Barcelona will host Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano in consecutive home games as they kick off their LaLiga title defense.
In theory, they have sufficient depth to manage without De Jong, with Pedri, Gavi, Marc Bernal, and Marc Casadó available to fill the midfield role, as well as Eric García, Andreas Christensen, Dani Olmo, and Fermín López who have also contributed.
Currently, Barcelona is concentrating on enhancing their attack, having recently signed Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, marking their second summer signing after Anthony Gordon.
ESPN previously reported that promising Belgian winger Jesse Bisiwu is expected to join Adeyemi and Gordon at Camp Nou, with the club also in search of a forward to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski.
Julián Álvarez remains the top target, alongside potential acquisitions for a center-back and full-backs, with João Cancelo expected to return following a successful loan stint.