The injury curse continues to haunt Barcelona ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atlético Madrid, this time after Frenkie de Jong failed to return as scheduled.
De Jong suffered a serious muscle injury in late February, which has kept him sidelined for over a month and a half.
De Jong Has Not Yet Fully Recovered
Before the international break, reports from Barcelona indicated that De Jong would miss the La Liga match against Atlético Madrid but would be available for the Champions League fixture.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, De Jong has not completed his recovery as planned. He has yet to participate in group training sessions and has only been training individually, confirming his continued absence from the upcoming match.
The current plan for the Dutch international is to recover over the next few days, with the hope of being included in the squad for the derby against Espanyol next Saturday in La Liga.
Hansi Flick hopes to give De Jong some playing time against Espanyol so that he is 100% fit for the second leg against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.
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De Jong this season with Barcelona
De Jong has had an outstanding season under coach Hansi Flick, and his impact in midfield has been evident, filling a void that was felt in his absence. This prompted Barcelona officials to discuss a contract extension.
The 29-year-old agreed to a new contract with the Catalan club last October, keeping him at Camp Nou until the summer of 2029, with a reduced salary and a pay cut to align with Barcelona’s financial situation.
Overall, De Jong has played 31 matches for Barcelona this season across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing seven assists.
De Jong hopes to make a full recovery in order to be in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands national team, who have been drawn in a group with Tunisia, Japan, and Sweden.
Barcelona’s Absences Against Atlético Madrid
De Jong joins a list of Barcelona players whose absences, while not extensive, will be a significant blow in terms of squad depth and the options available to Flick both offensively and defensively.
Rafinha suffered an injury during Brazil’s friendly against France at the start of the international break and will not return until early May at the earliest.
Marc Bernal also suffered an ankle sprain during the league match against Atlético Madrid and will need 10 days to recover, ruling him out of the Champions League first leg and the Madrid derby, with the hope of being fit for the second leg.
Andreas Christensen remains sidelined for Barcelona after it was confirmed he needs another month to recover from his cruciate ligament injury.
Ronald Araujo is expected to be available for the match against Atlético Madrid after it was confirmed he suffered only muscle overload in the league match against Atlético, when he left the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium after just 39 minutes due to pain.
