Barcelona star eyeing Newcastle return | OneFootball

A sidelined member of the midfield ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona is eyeing a return to action in the club’s European season opener.

That’s according to journalist Alex Pintanel, who points towards Frenkie de Jong as the player in question.

Midfielder De Jong was for his part forced into a premature departure from international duty with the Netherlands last week.

This came after the former Ajax man picked up a muscular problem during a World Cup qualifying meeting with Poland.

Barcelona subsequently confirmed in a statement that De Jong ‘has suffered a slight injury to the external obturator muscle in his right leg’.

Ensuing reports have varied when it comes to the extent of the 28-year-old’s incoming spell on the sidelines, though the widespread consensus is that he will not be risked against Valencia this weekend.

But if the latest update on the situation to have surfaced on Wednesday is anything to go by, then De Jong could be back on the pitch not long after.

As per a report from Alex Pintanel:

‘Frenkie de Jong is working with the goal of being at 100% for the Newcastle match.’

Conor Laird – GSFN