Barcelona midfield ace has ‘lost weight’ in the team following poor performances | OneFootball

Barcelona are going through a difficult period right now, which was accentuated following the recent loss to Atletico Madrid.

In the midst of this poor run, Frenkie de Jong has emerged as the main scapegoat for Barcelona, as the midfielder has struggled to provide any quality to the table.

The Dutchman has failed to re-establish himself as a first-team regular under Hansi Flick, falling behind the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Marc Casado in the pecking order.

De Jong has lost weight in the team

As de Jong’s awful run of form continues, a recent report from Mundo Deportivo has highlighted that the midfielder has now ‘lost weight’ in the team.

It appears de Jong is not as important to the dressing as he was not more than six months ago. That is because the midfielder has not been able to lead the team from the front.

De Jong has become a benchwarmer at Barcelona (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Despite all his experience, the former Ajax starlet has offered very little to the table, with coach Flick often resorting to other alternatives when he needs reinforcements in midfield.

The report further points out that Flick had a lot of confidence in de Jong when he returned from injury. However, the Dutchman has not been able to repay that faith.

This comes despite the fact that de Jong himself recently admitted that he is returning to peak fitness and is now in a position to play the entire ninety minutes.

In fact, everything suggests de Jong has already been demoted, with the Dutchman all set to start in the team’s Copa Del Rey clash against Barbastro in two weeks.

De Jong will start the game alongside other Barcelona substitutes – that is the midfielder’s role in the team right now.