Frenkie de Jong is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Dutchman's right ankle injury has been a real headache for FC Barcelona, as his recovery process has been delayed more than expected and has weakened the midfield of the squad led by Hansi Flick, who, given the impossibility of finalising the arrival of a reinforcement for this area of the pitch, needs the presence of the footballer more than ever.
The Arkel native suffered a severe grade two sprain in his right ankle on 21 April in the Clásico, after a tough clash with Federico Valverde. This setback was the third of the same type suffered by the player last season, which is why his evolution has not followed the deadlines initially planned by the club's medical services. The midfielder missed the Euros due to this problem and returned to Barcelona for pre-season with this area of his body still inflamed, so the forecasts were not very encouraging.
However, Hansi Flick has restored hope with the midfielder's return to the Blaugrana. In the press conference prior to the match against Valladolid on Saturday 31 August, the German coach spoke about Frenkie's physical condition and was positive about his return to the first team, ensuring that he hopes he does not have to undergo surgery and revealing the date on which he could have him available again.
"I hope he doesn't need to go under the knife. He's in the process of recovery, he's made a big step forward and now we have to wait. He's training well and we'll see. I hope to have him back after the international break, but I can't confirm it yet. The medical team does a very good job, so we'll see what happens after the break," were the words of the German coach.
The candidate to occupy the pivot
On the other hand, Flick spoke about the pivot position, which has been affected by the loss of Marc Bernal. "I've seen very positive things from Bernal in the last three games, but now we have to replace him. Casadó, Eric can also occupy this position. We have shared our idea of the game and how we want it to be played there and they are capable. I have full confidence that they can do it well," he said. Despite this, the possible return of De Jong after the break would 'settle' the debate, since Hansi considers him undisputed in his new project, which is why he also stopped his departure in this transfer market.