FC Barcelona and Dutch National Team player Frenkie De Jong was expected to initially be back from his injury before El Clasico. The player’s medical status and recovery progress has been updated by the club in a new official statement.
The Dutchman is now expected to be out for at least 15 more days according to numerous reports, as Barcelona’s official Twitter handle states the following regarding the update on his injury:
The midfielder is absolutely essential to Barcelona and particularly the plans of Xavi Hernandez, who relies on the talented midfielder to bypass opponent structures through his technical ability and even provide line-breaking passes as well as redistribute possession courtesy of his excellent passing range.
His presence in the Copa Del Ray semi-final second leg against Real Madrid was therefore seen as being crucial to the team’s chance of success considering the fact that the Catalans will also miss the creative spark of Pedro González in the heart of midfield against Los Blancos.
The player was unable to make the trip with his national team as well due to having been out because of injury since before, but recent updates suggest the player will need further time off to completely recover from his injury.
While his situation and availability for the Clasico is currently in doubt, reports by Javi Miguel Diario AS suggest the player believes he can recover before his expected return and feature for the Catalans against Real Madrid. There is some optimism, but Barcelona will have to wait to see the final development regarding his return.
