After long last, Frenkie de Jong has returned to availability for FC Barcelona. Having suffered an injury in his ankle during the last season, in an encounter with Real Madrid, the midfielder has been unable to play and is yet to make his debut under Flick.
Today, he was named in the squad for the upcoming UEFA Champions League game against BSC Young Boys after a gap of almost five months. Although he might not start the game tonight, he can still get some minutes later in the match.
As SPORT has noted, his return will be key for Flick, as the coach himself admitted in a recent presser, as he would provide the German tactician with another important option in the midfield, while also providing the dressing room with another leader as he would be the team’s captain in Ter Stegen and Araujo’s absence.
There is no doubt that his return will be a boost for Barcelona, but this season, his sixth at Barcelona, has been the most controversial for him up to now. The Dutchman has been accused of charging a very high amount of salary from the club, up to €37 million, something Frenkie himself had to deny in a recent interview.
The midfielder also faced some criticism for not undergoing surgery to return to action sooner. In that interview, he also addressed this issue and explained that his recovery process was set in accordance with the club’s medical services’ recommendations.
Frenkie de Jong also had to face some whistles when Barcelona announced their squad for the season on the eve of the Joan Gamper Trophy match. Hopefully, he will receive a better reaction from the fans when his name is announced on the microphones tonight.
But despite his issues with the fans, he has always retained Flick’s confidence. The German coach had ruled out any possibility of his transfer away from the club, and the two have a good relationship between them.
