Frenkie de Jong takes major step towards Barcelona return

Frenkie de Jong has returned to ball work as he continues his recovery from a right-knee injury, offering Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick encouraging news during the international break.

With much of Barcelona’s squad away representing their countries, only seven or eight players have remained available to train at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva. De Jong could soon become another player involved in the day-to-day work, although he is not yet ready to rejoin full training.

According to SPORT, the Netherlands midfielder has made significant progress over the past few days and is now completing individual sessions on the pitch at moderate intensity. De Jong is said to be satisfied with the pace of his recovery.

He has been out since suffering a tear to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Several options were initially considered, including the possibility of surgery, but Barcelona ultimately chose a conservative treatment plan.

For several weeks, De Jong trained without using a ball, focusing mainly on exercises and running in straight lines. He was still experiencing some discomfort with sideways movements a few weeks ago, particularly because of the nature of the ligament injury.

That problem has now improved. De Jong is feeling more optimistic and has moved into the next stage of his rehabilitation, working with the ball while gradually increasing his physical workload.

However, he still has some way to go before he can train normally alongside his team-mates. His return to group sessions is expected to take approximately two to three weeks, meaning there is no immediate prospect of him being involved in competitive action.

Flick will have the chance to assess De Jong’s progress himself on Wednesday. The Barcelona manager was not at the Ciutat Esportiva on Monday because it was a rest day, while he travelled to Madrid on Tuesday to attend a meeting for coaches.

Once the international break ends, Barcelona’s coaching and medical staff will review De Jong’s condition and evaluate how his recovery has developed. Only after that assessment will it be possible to establish a more precise timetable for his return to matches.

The rehabilitation process is not complete, but De Jong’s return to ball work represents an important advance after weeks spent limited to running exercises. For the first time in several weeks, he has the ball at his feet again.