Frenkie de Jong was at last able to get back on the pitch in the match between FC Barcelona and BSC Young Boys. The Dutchman had spent around five months on the sidelines with the ankle injury that he suffered at the end of the last season, during a match against Real Madrid.
But despite this long time spent away from the pitch and his return to competitive football, not everyone is satisfied with the player’s current condition.
It is clear that the Dutch midfielder will need some more days to return back to his best, but as SPORT has reported, the former Barcelona coach and the current Dutch national team trainer, Ronald Koeman, was particularly worried about his situation.
Talking about Frenkie’s situation, Koeman urged Barcelona to remain cautious with him: “I spoke on the phone last week and, with all due respect, he’s still too far off. He played a little, and it already scared him. It was difficult for him.”
Barcelona were planning on having their captain back to full fitness for the crunch matches against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at the end of October.
However, Koeman was clear that Frenkie is not yet ready for such high-intensity games: “Frenkie needs to find his rhythm and be at one hundred percent fitness, and I think he’s not there yet.”
Koeman has already blamed Barcelona in the past for aggravating the problems suffered by the Dutch midfielder. The trainer could not call up Frenkie even for the UEFA EURO 2024, despite him being one of the most important players in his national team.
Although Frenkie has returned to the pitch for Barcelona, he might not be able to perform at his best till November. Hansi Flick has full confidence in the €60m-rated midfielder, but even after his recovery, his contractual situation might keep him in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
