Barcelona anger grows as Frenkie de Jong delays decision on knee surgery

Barcelona are increasingly frustrated by Frenkie de Jong’s refusal to decide whether to undergo surgery on his right knee injury, with the midfielder preferring to continue conservative treatment.

The Netherlands international has not made significant progress after more than six weeks of non-surgical rehabilitation and continues to report discomfort. Barcelona believe the treatment has been given enough time to produce results and would prefer the issue to be resolved through an operation.

The club’s position is that surgery would establish a clearer recovery timetable and allow De Jong to begin a defined rehabilitation programme. However, the player currently wants to give conservative treatment more time, creating tension between him and the club.

Barcelona confirmed previously that medical examinations had identified a tear to the medial collateral ligament in De Jong’s right knee. The club did not specify how long he was expected to be out.

A further disagreement concerns how the rehabilitation period should be calculated. De Jong believes the four-week period should begin when he returns to training. Barcelona, however, says he had already been following the same rehabilitation programme before that point and therefore sees no reason to restart the clock.

The situation has also raised questions within the club about how the injury was managed in recent weeks. De Jong started every match for the Netherlands at the World Cup before their campaign ended on 30 June.

The midfielder later said the Netherlands medical staff had not assessed the injury accurately. He indicated that he believed he was capable of playing without making the problem worse.

Barcelona are now keen to bring the matter to a conclusion, but De Jong’s preference to avoid surgery has prolonged the dispute. The uncertainty is also making planning more difficult for the coaching staff, who are waiting to learn whether one of their most important midfielders will be available at the start of the season.

A potential operation could have consequences beyond the team’s sporting plans. If De Jong were to be ruled out for a long period, Barcelona could potentially make use of player-registration regulations, although the club’s immediate priority is to determine the treatment required and the length of his absence.

De Jong has endured injury problems in recent seasons. He missed almost two months last season because of a thigh muscle injury, and the latest setback threatens to keep him out of the opening stages of Barcelona’s campaign.

Should the expected recovery period be confirmed, De Jong may not return to action until November. That would mean missing the start of the season and leaving Barcelona without one of their leading midfield options while the disagreement over his treatment continues.