Barcelona may never recover Frenkie De Jong’s best version again | OneFootball

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It seems that FC Barcelona may have to end up dealing with much more than what is currently on their plate. The Catalan club ended up having a disastrous season in the last campaign as they ended up going trophyless. However, beyond just the issue of silverware, Barcelona also had to deal with some major injury problems:

The likes of Gavi and Alejandro Balde ended up having to endure long-term injuries that have prevented them from making a return even now. While they continue their recovery, it became clear that the young players had been overworked. However, they were not the only casualties.

Even Ronald Araujo and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen had their own share of injuries to deal with. Both crucial pieces of the team ended up having to stay away from the field for a good amount of time and it resulted in performance-based consequences for FC Barcelona.

However, it would not end up being just two of the four Barcelona captains who endured such injuries. Even Frenkie De Jong, a key player for both Barcelona and the Netherlands, ended up being the third captain to go through an untimely ankle injury.

Unfortunately, this injury ended up costing the player his participation in the ongoing European Championship. In fact, former Barcelona coach and current Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman also stated that Barça were to blame for the mismanagement of the 27-year-old midfield star.

Now, according to SPORT, a new revelation arrives in the form of some damning news. As per this new update, Frenkie De Jong’s pre-season under new Barcelona coach Hansi Flick may be under threat. The player still feels discomfort and this issue may end up becoming much more severe than it looks on the surface.

There is an understanding in this report that the player begins to feel discomfort whenever there is an increase in terms of workload. In fact, his injury is labeled as being complex, with certain repercussions possibly being present moving forward in both the medium and long-term as well.

The worrying part is that there is skepticism in regards to treatment as well. At the moment, the diagnosis is a worrying one as even surgical intervention may not completely get rid of the problem.

All the issues that De Jong is currently struggling with in regards to his ankle syndesmosis are proving to be difficult to not just detect but also prevent from potentially becoming chronic.

For this reason, Barcelona may have to make a big decision. They could either choose to go with what Hansi Flick wants, with the coach hoping to keep Frenkie De Jong as a key part of his squad next season, or they could choose to take precautions and cut their potential losses by selling the Dutchman for a massive fee this summer.

Currently under contract with FC Barcelona until 2026, Barça believe now is as good a time as any to profit from the player’s sale. He has not responded to the club’s renewal offers either, and this has given them some cause for concern as well.

Either way, with the player currently at his peak at the age of 27, FC Barcelona will have to make a final call about him before it is too late to consider all the options.