Barcelona braced for difficult decision as Frenkie de Jong faces spell on sidelines

Barcelona will begin the new season without Frenkie de Jong and are preparing to ask the Dutch midfielder to approve a “long-term injury” registration if medical tests confirm the club’s worst fears over his knee problem.

The 27-year-old is currently on holiday after suffering the injury while on international duty with the Netherlands, and Barcelona are waiting for him to return to Spain so they can carry out final examinations and establish the exact extent of the damage and his likely absence.

Early indications within the club are described as worrying rather than optimistic, with the Catalan side increasingly concerned that De Jong could be missing for a significant period at the start of the campaign.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, if scans and assessments confirm a serious injury, Barcelona plan to register De Jong as a long-term absentee.

Under La Liga regulations, that status would allow the club to free up room in their first-team wage bill, giving them more flexibility within the salary cap as they continue to manage tight financial constraints. Any such move, however, can only be made with the player’s explicit consent.

Barca seek player’s approval

Barcelona are understood to be preparing to present De Jong with the scenario once he is back from his break and the medical staff have delivered a conclusive diagnosis.

Only after that process is complete will the club move to formalise his registration as a long-term injury, should the results support that course of action.

The step would not alter De Jong’s contractual situation or his standing within the squad, but it would have a significant impact on how Barcelona structure their spending on the rest of the first-team group for the opening months of the season.

The situation places both club and player in a delicate position, with Barcelona needing his agreement to proceed while De Jong weighs the implications of such a designation for his own recovery and future involvement this term.

Frustration over handling by Netherlands

Inside the club, there is said to be clear dissatisfaction with how the situation has been managed by both the Netherlands national team and the player himself.

Figures at Barcelona believe the handling of the injury, from its initial onset to subsequent decisions made during international duty, has not been ideal and may have complicated their planning for the season.

That frustration has added urgency to the process, with the La Liga side keen to reach a definitive conclusion over De Jong’s medical status and registration in the coming days.

Barcelona want the matter resolved this week so that they can finalise their squad planning and wage-structure decisions before the new campaign, all while awaiting the midfielder’s return and the decisive medical verdict on his knee.