Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong continues to be at the centre of the storm. It has been over three months since he injured his ankle against Real Madrid but is yet to make a comeback to training.
As such, AS reports that the condition of the Dutch midfielder’s right ankle continues to cause concern within the club, and even more so after Ronald Koeman’s statements, who assured that the player was ‘worried’ because it was an ‘important injury’.
No clear date for return
Frenkie de Jong has not played since 21 April, when a hard tackle by Federico Valverde in the Clásico sent him to the dressing room.
The Dutchman was diagnosed with a grade two sprain in the ankle, an injury that usually takes six to eight weeks to fully recover from, but he has now been out for twelve weeks.
Worst of all, there is no clear forecast for his return.
Concerns growing with De Jong. (Photo via Getty Images)
The alarm bells went off on the first day of pre-season when images of Frenkie during medical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva showed that his right ankle was still very swollen.
Barcelona tried to relativise these images, assuring that the player had arrived a little out of shape, but without major complications.
However, Koeman’s statements last week came as a bit of a shock to the club. The Dutch coach not only showed his concern for the player’s condition but also blamed Barcelona for forcing his return when he had not yet recovered.
Hansi Flick plans to meet with De Jong himself and the doctors in the next few days to decide whether or not to take the Dutchman on the US tour.
There is no doubt that the final decision will set the tone for the player: if he stays in Barcelona, it will be a further indication that he has not yet recovered while if he is part of the expedition, it will be a clear demonstration that his return is closer.
But as things stand, things are far from clear and his readiness for the opening game of the season against Valencia next…
Author : Michel Durant
Publish date : 2024-07-23 09:14:22
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Author : soccernews
Publish date : 2024-07-23 09:18:35
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.