Spanish outlet AS has reported that Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong’s ankle injury, which he sustained four months ago, has still not healed and there is no clear indication of his return date.
The report indicates that De Jong has become a “problem” for Barcelona, rather than a “solution”. Since his injury on April 21st during the El Clasico against Real Madrid, the Dutch midfielder has not been able to recover. He attempted to join the Dutch national team for the European Championship, but was unsuccessful. Upon returning from vacation, his body showed visible changes, with his right ankle swelling. Moreover, he continues to ignore Barcelona’s attempts to adjust his salary.
AS points out that currently, nobody at Barcelona can predict when De Jong will be able to play. Why has an ankle sprain taken four months to heal? The media has been discussing De Jong’s injury, particularly with Ronald Koeman blaming Barcelona for overusing the player before he had fully recovered as the main reason.
When De Jong initially got injured, the club’s initial diagnosis was a “grade two sprain, expected recovery time of 6-8 weeks”. However, he has now been out for four months, double the estimated time. An additional complication is that this is De Jong’s third ankle injury in a row.
AS emphasizes that Barcelona is confused by the Dutch player’s situation, as it’s drastically different from his teammates like Pedri, who suffered a grade two sprain in his left knee during the European Championship in mid-July, yet his recovery has been faster than expected and he resumed training on Wednesday, aiming to be ready for Barcelona’s first La Liga match against Valencia this weekend.
It’s important to remember that De Jong is Barcelona’s highest-paid player, with an estimated total salary of €35 million due to the aftermath of the pandemic. Barcelona manager Deco had attempted to contact the player’s agent to adjust De Jong’s salary and achieve some wage reductions to lighten the club’s financial burden. However, these efforts have been ignored, fueling Barcelona’s suspicions about the Dutchman. The club believes that De Jong is waiting for his contract to expire (June 30, 2026) and then leave as a free agent.
Regardless, manager Xavi Hernandez is aware that even in the most optimistic scenario, De Jong will likely only return to the field after the September international break.
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