The fitness status of FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has drawn a lot of attention.
The Netherlands international was supposed to recover from an ankle injury he sustained in a match against Real Madrid in April in a matter of weeks.
However, De Jong has not returned to action in more than four months, and it is unclear what his condition is like or when he would be able to play again.
It was mentioned earlier this week that he might make a comeback in a month. However, according to sources today, De Jong requires surgery in order to have any chance of ever being fully fit again because his ankle is still sensitive and delicate, which puts him at risk for a relapse.
De Jong won’t need surgery.
But as of right now, De Jong has chosen to stick with his present conservative course of treatment rather than have surgery, according to MARCA.
It’s true that in order to have his ankle fully recovered, the midfield player did think about having surgery, and several of his friends even suggested it to him.
Even though he hasn’t returned to full fitness yet, people close to the team who are tracking his recuperation say that right now the progress is noticeable.
De Jong has been putting a lot of effort into his comeback with the help of the club’s rehab coaches ever since he was left out of the Netherlands squad for the Euros.
Return in a fortnight?
According to the source, De Jong is putting a lot of effort into working with the recently hired physiotherapists at the club, and it appears to be paying off as the midfield player may make a comeback in September following the international break.
A few days ago, De Jong travelled to Holland for tests to determine the state of the ankle he had three injuries to during the previous season. The results of the tests are excellent and support the improvement of the ankle.
He is still working independently for the time being, but in two weeks it should be possible to get him for Hansi Flick.
If confirmed, it will be a huge help for Flick and Barcelona, who are lacking midfield alternatives in the wake of Marc Bernal’s ACL injury that ended his season.
