Frenkie de Jong stands at a crossroads that could carry unexpected consequences. The Barcelona star has made a series of controversial decisions since injury ended his Netherlands World Cup on 30 June.
According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", the first and most influential decision saw De Jong play the last three matches at the World Cup despite pain in his right knee. That pain worsened alarmingly, to the point where he appeared visibly affected during the clash with Morocco.
De Jong justified his stance by insisting the doctors had misdiagnosed his condition, having underestimated the severity of the pain in the knee.
Once the Netherlands went out against Morocco, Frenkie took several weeks of rest. He returned to the sports city on 13 July, visibly worried, the pain persisting and swelling in the knee now clearly apparent.
Tests in Barcelona confirmed the severity of the injury, revealing a tear in the medial collateral ligament of the right knee.
The player faced two options, each with its pros and cons. Surgery would have meant an absence of between five and six months, with a guarantee of restoring the right knee close to 100%. Conservative treatment could have allowed him back after roughly three months if successful, but carried the risk of no complete guarantees over the stability of the knee.
Against the opinion of the club's medical staff, the player chose conservative treatment, accepting the risk of not recovering 100%.
After a month and a half of rehabilitation, De Jong took to the pitch on 25 August to test the stability of his knee and how comfortable he felt. The results were not positive. He was forced to leave the pitch in clear distress.
This first setback prompted the club to pile pressure back on the player, advising him to open a new chapter in dealing with the injury.
Surgeon Juan Carlos Muñoz even met the Dutchman to recommend surgery as the best solution. Frenkie held firm, preferring to exhaust every option that conservative treatment offered.
Sharp contradiction now marks the feelings among those involved. Barcelona insist surgery is the only viable path to avoid repeating the cases of Samuel Umtiti and Ansu Fati. Their Dutch midfielder remains hesitant to accept it, aware he would be sidelined for three quarters of the season.
The club have, in any case, made decisions that lay bare their limited expectations for Frenkie in the short and medium term. The signing of Rodri and the registration of Bryan Fariñas with the first team stand as two clear indicators.
Behind closed doors, the club talk of handling the player's case day by day to assess his situation. They avoid setting dates or placing expectations on his return, aware the matter is extremely complicated and could carry unexpected consequences.
Time is running against De Jong. The first proposal called for four weeks to assess the conservative treatment. More than six weeks have now passed, the situation still complicated with no sign of a solution soon.
Xavi Hernández, the new Netherlands manager, was asked about De Jong's condition during his presentation. The most important thing, he replied, is for the player to recover fully, knowing he cannot count on the Barcelona man for his first game in charge on 24 September against Germany.
All signs point towards the international break at the end of this September as the decisive date to settle the final plan. Surgery means De Jong's absence until next April and the practical end of his season. Sticking with his current stance means uncertainty over his return, which will not be before November at best, alongside the doubts hanging over the condition of his right knee.
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