According to a recent report by Javier Miguel, Barcelona's correspondent for AS, Frenkie de Jong is expected to be out of action for 5-6 months. Barcelona is dissatisfied with the way the Dutch national team and the player himself handled the injury. Related link: [Barcelona Official: De Jong tore his right medial collateral ligament, he will continue treatment]
According to Barcelona's medical report, De Jong has suffered a "complete rupture of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee" and will almost certainly require surgery. According to AS, his recovery time is expected to be five to six months, which means he will not be able to return to the field until 2027.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow for Flick, who has suddenly lost a key player, and De Jong will also miss most of the season. The sports committee, led by Deco, still needs to assess the impact of this absence, especially considering Casado's possible transfer plans.
In any case, there seems to be more than enough space for the defensive midfield position, with Bernal, Eric Garcia, Gave, and even Esparte and Christensen being potential candidates.
Barcelona are shocked by the poor handling of the matter by Koeman, the Dutch national team doctor, and the player himself. They are certain that the player played with an injury for 110 minutes against Morocco and received a pre-match injection to allow him to play.
The club was unaware of the situation beforehand and only learned of it much later. But what is truly infuriating is that De Jong shortened his comeback plans, appearing at the Sports City on July 13 to meet with Flick and undergo initial examinations of his right knee.
Due to swelling in his knee, a full diagnosis could not be made, and the examination was postponed for four days while the internal hematoma subsided. However, the initial assessment was not optimistic, and the doctor suspected that he might have injured his ligaments.
The club understands that risks must be taken and limits must be pushed in the World Cup, but only if everything is under control and professional guidance is provided. In this case, Barcelona emphasized that the Dutch coaching staff was clearly negligent, knowingly allowing a player to play in extra time despite his injury.
The Dutch team doctor was also negligent in ignoring this behavior, and the player himself is also to blame; he either didn't know how to express himself or was unwilling to express himself, even though he knew he was taking a great risk.
If the club can find any solace in this, it is that they will receive compensation from FIFA for the period of De Jong's absence, which, given the long-term injury—over four months—could amount to as much as 3 million euros.
