According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, there are several moving parts involved in Barcelona player Frenkie de Jong’s involvement in the forthcoming away match against Real Sociedad.
The Dutchman is most likely going to miss the La Liga match, although he could make an appearance against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League the following week.
In addition, he is reportedly planning to become a parent soon and wants to be present with his girlfriend when the child is born, which is another reason why his return is being postponed.
. not played in about two months
Notably, de Jong has not participated in a game since suffering an injury during a 3-2 victory against Celta Vigo in September, during which he was limited to just 36 minutes of play.
He is still on the sidelines of the first team practice at this time.
The Netherlands international’s involvement in the squad for the forthcoming league match against Real Sociedad appears highly unlikely given that he was noticeably absent from the training session held at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper lately.
It seems that he is still battling with pain related to his right ankle injury. His much-anticipated comeback might thus have to wait until the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Has anyone missed de Jong?
The data clearly show how Barcelona’s football becomes less fluid when De Jong isn’t there.
The Dutchman played in the first six league games, winning five and drawing one, when he was on the field.
But while he was not playing in La Liga, Barcelona suffered one defeat, two ties, and two wins. Both of these wins came by slim 1-0 margins; Marc Guiu scored the game-winning goal against Athletic Club, and Sergio Ramos inadvertently scored an own goal against Sevilla.
De Jong was a key player in the convincing 5-0 triumph over Royal Antwerp in the Champions League. On the other hand, in his absence, Barcelona defeated FC Porto.