Barcelona midfielder’s worrying injury record under Hansi Flick after fresh setback | OneFootball

Earlier today, it came to light that Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong ended the FIFA World Cup injured and has arrived in Catalonia with a physical setback.

Tests will be conducted in the coming days to determine the extent of the Dutchman’s injury, but the initial sensations are anything but positive.

After all, the player is expected to miss up to four months if the club’s worst fears are confirmed in what will come as a massive blow to Hansi Flick’s plans.

A concerning record

As relayed by SPORT in a recent report, there is internal worry over the situation of De Jong which has been anything but positive in recent years.

After all, Hansi Flick has barely been able to count on the player since he arrived as the first-team coach.

Out injured again. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

In the German manager’s first season at the club, De Jong was not available until October because of an ankle injury and thus missed a crucial part of the beginning of the season.

Last season, he again missed a major chunk, albeit this time at the end of the season. He was unavailable from February to April due to a muscular setback which came as a massive blow to the team’s plans.

Over just these two injury spells, the midfielder missed over 200 days and 36 games. Beyond these, he also missed an additional seven games for other minor setbacks under Flick.

A worrying trend

What makes De Jong’s situation all the more worrying is the fact that his fitness has not always been so fragile. In fact, he only averaged eight games missed per season in his first five seasons at the club, showing that his fitness is getting progressively worse.

De Jong could be sidelined for four months. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Now still just 29 years of age, De Jong is supposed to be enjoying the best phase of his professional career but is instead battling injuries relentlessly.

At this point, it is even safe to say that the Dutch national team federation have not been very kind to the player’s fitness and have only aggravated his situation time and time again. 

There was a significant controversy during the Euro 2024 that the player was selected despite battling ankle issues, and there are now reports that he played with painkiller injections in his nation’s final World Cup games.