Frenkie de Jong was one of the most conspicuous absences as Barcelona won 5-1 over Sevilla on Sunday. The Dutchman was expected to play some minutes in this game as he had recovered from his lengthy ankle injury some weeks ago and had already played some minutes in the games against Young Boys and Alaves before the international break.
But ahead of the game against Sevilla, Hansi Flick revealed that the Dutch midfielder had some discomfort which kept him from training with the rest of the group.
Ultimately, Frenkie was named in the squad, and could also be seen warming up on the sidelines for almost the entirety of the second half, when the team had already accumulated a healthy lead over their opponents.
However, the Dutchman did not play even a single minute in that game, as Flick opted to bring on other midfielders like Fermin Lopez, Pablo Torre, and Gavi.
According to SPORT, the decision not to play Frenkie in this game was not entirely based on physical or sporting bases. In fact, the midfielder did not play in this game as Hansi Flick wanted to give him a wake-up call for something that he did not like.
The report has not provided any more details in this matter but only assures that some actions on the part of the Dutchman have not convinced Flick.
A similar situation was already faced by defender Jules Koundé, whose late arrival to a training session led Flick to bench him for the match against Deportivo Alavés. However, he was brought on in the 67th minute.
But Frenkie’s case could have been different, as he has only recently recovered from an injury, and Flick might have decided not to risk him as the team was already winning the match comfortably. Another Barcelona midfielder, Dani Olmo, who was also back for this game, was also not given any minutes.
