Frenkie de Jong’s Barcelona return to training delayed by bad weather

Frenkie de Jong’s return to Barcelona’s group training has been postponed after adverse weather forced the squad to work indoors.

The Netherlands international had been expected to rejoin his team-mates on Monday, but that plan has now been moved to Tuesday, according to Sport. All Barcelona players completed their training session in the gym because of the conditions.

De Jong is nearing a return after recovering from a right-knee injury. His rehabilitation is progressing positively and the player is said to be feeling well as he approaches the final stages of his recovery.

If the weather improves, De Jong will take part in outdoor group training on Tuesday. That would represent the next step in his return to full fitness after suffering damage to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Barcelona previously confirmed that medical tests had diagnosed the injury, but the club did not provide an expected timeframe for his absence. The latest update indicates that De Jong is now close to resuming normal work with the squad.

The 30 June end to the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign came after De Jong had started all of their matches in the tournament. He later said the national team’s medical staff had not accurately assessed the extent of his injury.

De Jong also explained that he had felt capable of continuing to play without aggravating the problem. His comments came during a period in which he had already experienced a number of fitness issues.

Last season, the Barcelona player missed nearly two months because of a thigh muscle injury. The latest knee problem has therefore added to a recent run of absences, although his current recovery is described as being on track.

The timing of his return to group training now depends on the weather, with Tuesday the new target for his first session on the pitch alongside his Barcelona team-mates.