At 27 years old, Frenkie de Jong has established himself as one of the most valued figures in the FC Barcelona dressing room. Players such as Gavi and Ter Stegen have surrendered to the Dutchman and his importance in the team, where he is one of the most contracted quality players. "I was scared that Frenkie could leave," he admitted to the Andalusian a year ago. However, the members of the Barça squad are not the only admirers of the midfielder, since Hansi Flick is another of his great supporters within the entity.
The German coach found the footballer injured when he landed on the Barça bench, since Frenkie had twisted his right foot on April 21, in the league Clásico at the Bernabéu, after a dispute with Fede Valverde in which the Uruguayan went all out to kick the ball and De Jong's ankle suffered the impact. This setback was the third of the same type last season, a situation that has made his recovery more difficult than expected.
The footballer has not stepped onto the pitch since that match against Real Madrid. The midfielder was called up by the Netherlands for the European Championship, but the discomfort in his ankle forced him to drop out of Ronald Koeman's squad. He returned to Barcelona and continued his treatment, focusing on conservative treatment given that he does not want to undergo surgery, as reported by 'Mundo Deportivo'.
Despite this, the problem lies in the fact that more than four months have passed since his injury in April and he is still in pain. Frenkie does not want to force his return, but the Blaugrana squad urgently needs him and they want him to play even with these ailments in his foot. For his part, the footballer only wants to heal well to return 100%, so he will have to make a decision in the next few days.
The deadline set by Barça
Thus, Barça have set a deadline of 15 days to see how the Dutchman evolves and if he is ready to play again. If the midfielder does not feel ready, they will recommend that he undergo surgery to surgically end his discomfort and that, at least, he can help the team in the second half of the season. However, Flick hopes to have him under his orders after the international break, but if he does not manage to do so, it will be time to make drastic decisions.