Frenkie de Jong facing lengthy spell out as Barcelona confirm knee ligament tear

Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Frenkie de Jong has suffered a tear to the lateral ligament in his right knee, with Spanish reports suggesting the Netherlands international could be sidelined for more than four months.

The club announced on Thursday that De Jong sustained the injury while on duty with the Dutch national team at the World Cup and has since left the squad’s training camp.

Barcelona said in a statement published on their official X account that medical tests had revealed “a tear in the lateral ligament of the right knee” for the 27-year-old.

The Catalan club added that De Jong will continue to undergo treatment and close medical monitoring, with his recovery plan to be adjusted according to how his condition develops over the coming weeks.

No official timeframe from Barcelona

Barcelona did not specify how long De Jong is expected to be out, stopping short of putting any formal schedule on his return to action.

However, Spanish newspaper Sport reported that the former Ajax player is likely to miss more than four months of football because of the injury.

That estimate, if borne out, would rule him out of a significant portion of Barcelona’s season, although the club have not commented on those projections.

Injury blow at start of campaign

De Jong’s withdrawal from the Netherlands camp meant he was unavailable for the start of the new season with Barcelona.

The midfielder had been an important figure in the club’s plans, and his enforced absence represents an early setback as the team begin their domestic and European campaigns.

Barcelona have indicated that they will continue to evaluate De Jong’s progress before making any further updates, with his return dependent on how he responds to the ongoing treatment programme.