Frenkie de Jong breaks the silence about his serious (and controversial) injury

BarcelonaFrenkie de Jong, for the moment, will not go to the operating room, even though the worst forecasts about his injury are confirmed. Barça has communicated that the tests carried out on the Dutch footballer have determined that he suffers from a tear of the internal lateral ligament of the right knee. It has been agreed that the player will continue under medical treatment and monitoring, pending his evolution in the coming weeks. In other words, De Jong prefers, for the moment, to avoid the operating room. In this way and according to what this newspaper has been able to learn, the four months of absence that the first examinations depicted are confirmed when, despite having vacation permission, the footballer traveled to Barcelona to undergo tests at Sant Joan Despí to determine the extent of his injury.

Therefore, if De Jong does not change his mind and finally decides to undergo surgery – which would prolong his layoff but should guarantee the suture – he is not expected back until November. The news is nonetheless a significant setback for Barça's planning, as they are trying to sell Marc Casadó in this transfer market due to the overpopulation of players in that area of the field. His natural replacement in midfield is Marc Bernal. As emergency alternatives, Hansi Flick could improvise with Eric Garcia or Andreas Christensen, who have already advanced their positional role eventually.

Thus, the German coach has known for days that he will not be able to count on the Dutchman during the first months of official competition. Renewed in October 2025 until 2029, it was confirmed this Thursday that he has a significant injury to his right knee. He had been struggling with joint problems since the World Cup. De Jong started all three group stage matches and also the knockout tie against Morocco, where the Netherlands were eliminated. In three of the four games, Koeman had to substitute him before the final whistle. He was only able to complete the first group stage duel against Japan. In other matches, when he was substituted, the midfielder received ice applications to his right knee. In three of the four games he played in the World Cup, he played with discomfort.

Frenkie de Jong, in the eye of the hurricane

The 29-year-old footballer was already at the center of controversy at the end of last season with Barça. At the end of February, the Dutchman injured the distal biceps of his right leg in training and was out of action for six weeks. He missed the second leg of the Copa del Rey against Atlético de Madrid and the round of 16 of the Champions League, against Newcastle. The dust was raised because he was expected, at least, for the second leg of the quarter-finals of the top European club competition in which Barça had to overcome a 2-0 deficit at the Metropolitano, but the footballer, despite having completed the stipulated recovery time, did not feel ready to return and only played a few minutes at the end of the match. Furthermore, at the end of the club season, there was the dispute of the World Cup.

This led to criticism of the footballer because his commitment was called into question. In a statement that De Jong published shortly after Barça's medical report, the Dutchman has broken his silence with a statement on stories – content that disappears after 24 hours – on his Instagram account. "I don't usually pay attention to what is written about me. But there has been a lot of speculation about my injury and my situation at Barça. It is difficult for me that my relationship with the club is questioned with false news. Football means everything to me and I have always given everything I have for Barça and for my country. That's why I want to explain what happened," the player begins.

"During the World Cup I injured my knee. The doctors told me it was a minor thing and that it wouldn't get worse if I kept playing. The only change was playing with a bit of pain... During the holidays I returned to Barcelona to do more tests. And this has shown that the injury is more serious than they determined at first. Fortunately, surgery is not necessary, and now I am focused on recovery and returning as soon as possible". In this way, the footballer also makes it clear that he is not in favor of operating on the torn internal lateral ligament of his right knee, despite the advice of some medical experts from the club. The player always has the final say.