Returning Barcelona superstar expected to get minutes against Espanyol | OneFootball

FC Barcelona manager Hansi Flick received positive news today on the fitness front as Frenkie de Jong resumed training with the group.

The 28-year-old midfielder and one of the club captains has been out of action since late February with a hamstring injury, resulting in him missing nine games in all competitions.

In a big boost, though, De Jong did a part of the training session with the rest of the group today just a couple of days before Barça face RCD Espanyol.

De Jong to get minutes in Catalan derby

As such, Mundo Deportivo now reports that De Jong will make his return in the second half of the La Liga match against Espanyol this Saturday at the Spotify Camp Nou.

The objective is for the Barcelona midfielder to regain match rhythm in order to spend more time on the pitch next Tuesday at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where his team must overturn a 0-2 deficit against Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

De Jong’s return comes as a timely boost for the Blaugrana, considering that Marc Bernal is sidelined with an ankle sprain, while Pedri had to be taken off with hamstring discomfort against Atletico Madrid.

It has since been confirmed that Pedri has no injury, but Barcelona will not take any risks with him and manage his workload before the big game against Atletico next week.

Therefore, De Jong’s availability and potential return against Espanyol could allow Flick to rest the 23-year-old Spanish international in the second half of the game on Saturday evening.

So far this season, De Jong has played 31 matches across all competitions, scoring one and assisting seven goals in the process.

The midfield superstar is a permanent fixture in the team when fit and available and hence his imminent return will come as a big boost for Barcelona in the business end of the season.