Barcelona taking no risks with injured superstar despite his willingess to accelerate return | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have received a significant setback ahead of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, with Frenkie de Jong set to miss the match.

The Dutch midfielder is still recovering from a muscle injury, sustained in a training session late in February, that has kept him out for over a month.

No risks with De Jong

According to SPORT, De Jong is keen to accelerate his recovery and return to action to help the team, but Barcelona are maintaining a cautious approach.

The Blaugrana began the week with a full training session involving all available players as they prepare for Wednesday’s encounter against Atletico at the Spotify Camp Nou.

However, De Jong continued to train individually, confirming that he will not be fit in time for the opening leg, a development that complicates plans for head coach Hansi Flick.

Despite his willingness to push himself, the priority for Barcelona is to avoid any relapse during a decisive stage of the season, with the team still competing for both the Champions League and La Liga.

No risks with De Jong’s fitness. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

If his progress continues positively, the Netherlands international could feature for a limited number of minutes in the La Liga derby against RCD Espanyol at the weekend.

The main objective, however, is for De Jong to be available for the quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano next week.

Other notable absences

De Jong’s absence is compounded by that of Marc Bernal, who has also been ruled out of the upcoming after sustaining an ankle sprain. His return is likewise expected for the return leg in Madrid.

This leaves Flick with limited options in the holding midfield role, with Eric Garcia emerging as the primary solution. The German coach has not relied heavily on Marc Casado this season, further narrowing his choices.

Other confirmed absentees include Raphinha, who recently returned from Brazil to begin his recovery process, and Andreas Christensen.