Since arriving at the club in July 2019, Dutch star Frenkie de Jong has been a prominent name on the club's lineup chart. Having played more than 200 games at the club, de Jong's role has been crucial in forming the core of the Blaugrana club's midfield in recent times. But lately, much hasn't been going smoothly in the box-to-box midfielder's career, having faced numerous injury suspensions.
The countdown begins for Barca's star midfielder's return in early October
Given the midfielder's importance at the club, the Blaugrana club had an underwhelming campaign, finishing with zero trophies, as de Jong missed the majority of the 2023/24 season. In fact, this season as well, despite the club getting a brilliant start in La Liga, the absence of De Jong is much felt. However, recent updates regarding the Dutch star's potential return sound positive, with him having made significant progress in his recovery.
Not to forget, last week's reports mentioned that Frenkie de Jong had shown signs of improvement as he had begun partially working with the group. In fact, it was being reported that the Dutch ace might get his medical clearance soon. The recent reports have further indicated that in order to facilitate the midfielder's transition into the club setup, Barcelona boss Flick has decided a return date for him.
As per recent reports from Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick expects De Jong to return for the club, either in their UCL fixture against Young Boys or against Alaves. Although there could have been circumstances that might have allowed him to return earlier, Flick doesn't want to take risks with the midfield ace, who would be returning after 2 consecutive ankle injuries. As has been the manager's ideology, he wants De Jong to make a better-prepared return rather than a temporary one.
Overall, with reports indicating a good recovery of De Jong while working on the sidelines, the player's return in early October could ease out the club's injury woes. Flick would want De Jong to quickly return to full fitness and adapt to the lineup in order to offer him more tactical flexibility in the Barcelona midfield.