Another fitness issue for Frenkie de Jong?! Injury-plagued Barcelona star suffers fresh setback ahead of Sevilla clash

De Jong has been sidelined since April after suffering a serious ankle ligament injury that kept him out for several months. His absence was felt heavily by the Netherlands, as he missed the entire summer’s European Championship and continued to remain unavailable in the early part of Barcelona's 2024-25 campaign.

Earlier this month, De Jong finally made his comeback, appearing as a substitute in both the UEFA Champions League match against Young Boys and a La Liga fixture against Alaves. These appearances were seen as positive steps towards his full recovery and return to the starting XI. However, according toAdria Albets, he has a muscle discomfort that has cast doubt over his match fitness to play against Sevilla.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had intended to start De Jong as La Liga action resumes after the international break, but the recent setback has thrown those plans into uncertainty. Flick acknowledged the situation, explaining that the final decision regarding De Jong’s availability will be made after assessing him on match day.

“We have to see him tomorrow. He felt some discomfort yesterday, he started with the group today but then he was sidelined. I wanted to start him but we’ll see,” said the manager.

The timing of this setback couldn’t be worse for Barcelona, as the club is entering a pivotal stretch of the season. Flick is understandably cautious about risking further injury to one of his key players, especially with two critical matches on the horizon - against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga next week. Both fixtures will likely require Barcelona’s strongest squad, and risking De Jong’s fitness against Sevilla may not be worth the gamble.