Frenkie de Jong has been one in all Barcelona‘s most notable absentees over latest weeks, forcing coach Hansi Flick to lean closely on his youthful midfield choices. With the UEFA Champions League Spherical of 16 now simply across the nook, De Jong will stay sidelined, as his restoration timeline has now been confirmed.
The problem dates again to late February, when De Jong was pressured to chop brief a Barcelona coaching session with what was later confirmed to be a pressure of the distal hamstring in his proper leg. Concern rapidly mounted over how lengthy the Dutch midfielder can be out, with the harm depend now standing at three matches missed: Villarreal, Atlético Madrid and final weekend’s conflict with Athletic Membership.
Talking to ESPN, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman addressed De Jong’s scenario and supplied a clearer image of when he might be anticipated again. “Frenkie de Jong will likely be out for about six weeks. Typically I feel it is perhaps good for somebody to be out for six weeks in order that they get much less drained,” mentioned Koeman, successfully ruling him out of the upcoming March worldwide window squad.
With a restoration timeline pointing to early April, De Jong will miss not solely Barcelona’s Champions League Spherical of 16 collection in opposition to Newcastle United but additionally the Netherlands’ March friendlies in opposition to Norway on the twenty seventh and Ecuador on the thirty first. “Even so, we’ve got to attend for him to regain his health as soon as he returns,” he added.
Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona is challenged by Benat Turrientes of Actual Sociedad.
With Pedri again from his personal muscle harm, Flick has been experimenting with tips on how to cowl De Jong’s position, with Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal competing for the place. Between the primary leg at St. James’ Park on March 10 and the second leg on the Camp Nou on the 18th, the German coach should navigate a important stretch of the season with out one of many membership’s key figures and captains.
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De Jong has been a pivotal contributor this season with 31 appearances, one aim and 7 assists, however it’s value noting that Barcelona have received all 10 matches during which he has been absent, suggesting the squad has proven it might probably cope with out him. Even so, he is only one piece of a a lot bigger harm puzzle heading into the Newcastle tie.
The newest and vital blows got here within the Copa del Rey semifinal in opposition to Atlético Madrid, the place each Jules Koundé and Alejandro Baldé had been pressured off. Koundé suffered an harm to the center third of the biceps femoris in his left thigh and is predicted to overlook a number of weeks.
In Baldé’s case, the left again sustained a distal biceps femoris harm in his left thigh, with a restoration timeline of roughly 4 weeks. Andreas Christensen, in the meantime, stays unavailable and isn’t anticipated to function once more till subsequent season. The most important wildcard is Gavi, who has just lately returned to coaching after tearing the interior meniscus of his proper knee in late September, however whether or not he will likely be match sufficient to function in opposition to Newcastle stays very a lot within the air.
