According to reports, Frenkie de Jong is under pressure from Barcelona to play through discomfort due to a persistent physical problem.
De Jong’s problems started in September 2023 when he was hurt in a match against Celta Vigo, injuring his right ankle’s distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. The midfield player struggled to achieve full health after this initial setback, which signaled the start of a difficult year for him. De Jong sustained another injury to the same ankle when playing at San Mames in March of this year, following months of recuperation. But on April 21, during the league Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu, a terrible blow from a collision with Fede Valverde at the same location further complicated things.
De Jong is insistent about waiting to return to the field until he feels fully recovered, according to Mundo Deportivo. He is at conflict with Barcelona, who are in dire need of his services, because of this stance. The team has stated unequivocally that they anticipate De Jong to play through his discomfort. He has been granted a two-week period to evaluate his health and decide if he can play again.
The team hopes to have De Jong available for the second half of the season, but if he is still deemed unfit to play, they are willing to suggest surgery as a last resort. De Jong is under a great deal of pressure since he prefers to forego surgery and believes in more conventional means of healing.
For De Jong, the choice is about protecting his long-term health more than just getting back into the game. The midfield player knows that playing despite discomfort could make the injury worse, therefore he avoids doing so. But Barcelona is anxious to get one of their best players back into the mix since they have important games coming up, including commitments in Europe and the United States. The severity of De Jong’s illness and the possible repercussions of incorporating him into the mix before he is ready must be taken into consideration in order to balance this urgency.