FC Barcelona's outstanding midfielder will miss the international break as he completes his recovery

Since his signing in July 2019, Frenkie de Jong has been one of the most consistent pillars in the FC Barcelona squad. Having played over 200 games for the Blaugrana, the Dutch star was one of the very few players to achieve such an impressive feat. However, the last few seasons have been much more demanding for the midfield star, as can be seen from the club's season balance sheet.

Last season alone, de Jong suffered three injury-related suspensions due to his ankle problems alone, which sidelined him for most of the 2023/24 season. Not only did this prove detrimental to the FC Barcelona club's midfield last season, but it also took a significant toll on the player's ankle, which had developed chronic instability in the affected region.

Although de Jong returned to the field a few days ago after more than five months of injury, he is not yet fully fit. While the midfield star's debut in the new season predictably felt like a fresh start, with the home fans greeting him with a standing ovation and him also looking solid in the double-pivot role, reports say he still isn't ready enough for the ultimate test.

According to reports from Diario SPORT, Frenkie de Jong, who featured in the final minutes of Barca's UCL matchday, is not yet ready to play a full game. In fact, the report goes on to mention that the key player will not be named by the Netherlands for the October international break as he will continue to return to full fitness in Barcelona.

From FC Barcelona's perspective, it is much more important to manage de Jong's workload in his first days of return, as the club faces the most important matchdays of this calendar year. Shortly after the international break, the Blaugrana club would face European giants like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in back-to-back games where they will need the Dutch star in full fitness.

With Barca already operating with the bare minimum of midfield options available, they do not want to welcome any further injury to de Jong. Overall, with Barca boss Flick and his staff committed to getting the best out of Frenkie de Jong, we can expect him to return to his best level soon.