Official: Frenkie De Jong To Miss The Netherlands’ Qualifiers Due To Discomfort
Barcelona consolidated their position at the top of the league table with yet another win over Real Madrid, which helped them extend their lead at the top to 12 points.
However, Barça did not come out of the game unscathed as one of their key player Ronald Araujo picked up an injury. But it appears he is not the only one to have sustained a knock.
According to Telegraaf, Frenkie de Jong, too, had picked up discomfort after the win over Real Madrid. An MRI scan has revealed that the midfielder must be rested for at least two weeks.
This comes just before the upcoming international break, meaning De Jong is set to miss out on games against France and Gibraltar in the UEFA Euro qualifiers for his home country, the Netherlands.
While this could be a major blow for the Oranje, it should come as a relief for Barcelona. Coach Xavi Hernandez has already had to deal with multiple injury issues since the turn of the year and a prolonged spell on the sidelines for de Jong could have been devastating for the club.
But with de Jong conveniently missing the international break due to the discomfort, the midfielder should have ample time to recover from and get back to full fitness before Barcelona resume their campaign.
De Jong has been one of the top performers for Barcelona this season, establishing solid relations with Pedri and Sergio Busquets in the middle of the park. He was even a top performer for Barcelona in their win over Real Madrid, controlling the midfield extremely well.
The onus will now be on the Dutchman to return to fitness as quickly as possible and strengthen Barcelona once again within a couple of weeks’ time.
