'Frenkie de Jong is not 100 per cent yet' - Hansi Flick admits concerns over Barcelona midfielder's ongoing fitness worries

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was delighted after his team secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but was concerned about Frenkie de Jong's ongoing battles with fitness and recovery. The German coach brought him on during the dying embers of the game with Barca leading 2-0.

De Jong has had a tough time dealing with his recovery ever since he injured his ankle during last season's El Clasico in April, which saw him stay out of action for over five months. He returned to the Dutch national team after a prolonged absence ahead of the recently-concluded international break, but he arrived for the camp after suffering an injury scare during Barca's 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad. Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman confirmed that the player was not at his best physically. Subsequently, he was released from the Netherlands squad for the second of two UEFA Nations League fixtures to allow him to speed up his recovery.

Since the conclusion of the international break, De Jong has featured in two games for Barcelona, but started in neither. Against Celta Vigo, he came on in the 75th minute, and against Brest in the 88th minute.

Flick spoke to the press following Barca's 3-0 win over Brest and shed light on De Jong's fitness: “What I have to say is that he’s working very hard to get back. He’s not 100 per cent. He needs to get back to his best level. I’m sure he’ll get there. We’ll keep an eye on him. Frenkie needs to recover a bit more, he might play on Saturday. The important thing is the whole team. We want all the players to get back to their best level.”

It remains to be seen whether De Jong will play any part in Barcelona's next game this weekend, a LaLiga encounter against Las Palmas. Off the field, the former Ajax star has been working really hard and taking preventive measures to ensure his ankle doesn't suffer an injury relapse.