The midfield was one of the areas most affected by injuries as FC Barcelona started this 2024-25 season. Hansi Flick was without several important midfielders as he took command of the team, and then saw even more players from this area of the pitch become unavailable due to physical issues as the season went by.
However, in the last month or so, most of these injured midfielders have returned to availability, and as things stand, there is only one midfielder left in the Blaugrana infirmary, Marc Bernal.
Frenkie de Jong was one of the players who was unable to train under Flick during the pre-season and had to wait till October to play his first minutes this season.
Naturally, Flick had been rather careful with his return and got him back on the pitch only in a gradual manner to avoid any relapse. However, even though it has been quite some time since he returned from his injury, his performances have not been up to the standards expected from a player of his quality, and he has faced a lot of criticism, even from his own fans.
However, Flick still retains his full confidence in the Barcelona captain and made this clear as he spoke to the press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the German tactician was clear that Frenkie remains an important player for him:
“For me, he is a very important player. That’s my opinion, and I can’t control what comes from outside. He’s a great professional and gives his all in training. For us, he’s an important player.”
It is good to see Flick showing his confidence in a player who can prove to be quite important for Barcelona going forward. However, Frenkie needs to show his intent on the pitch, and hopefully, he will get back to his best level in the coming weeks.
