Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has confirmed that one of his players will miss the clash with Feyenoord next Wednesday, in the first round of the opening stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Asked about Barcelona's plan for the Belgian winger Jessy Bissiou, Flick told the match press conference: "He will not be part of the squad on Wednesday, but he is fine. The idea is for him to train with us and play with Barcelona Atletic. But he is tied to us and has outstanding potential."
On the Dutch midfielder De Jong, the German coach said: "He has enormous potential, and I am happy to have him with us. He has to recover and train a lot, and that is what he is doing. I hope we will be able to see him over the next few weeks."
De Jong played the last three matches at the World Cup despite feeling pain in his right knee. That pain worsened alarmingly, leaving him clearly affected during the clash with Morocco.
The midfielder defended his stance by insisting the doctors had misdiagnosed his condition, having downplayed the seriousness of the pain in his knee.
Following the Netherlands' exit against Morocco, Frenkie took several weeks of rest. He returned on 13 July to the sports city, visibly worried after the pain persisted and the swelling in his knee became evident.
Tests carried out in Barcelona confirmed the seriousness of the injury, revealing a tear in the medial collateral ligament of the right knee.
You can discuss the topics and news in more depth in the "Kooora" forums