Ligament tear and a rift with the Dutch national team: Frenkie de Jong's nightmare
The Barcelona midfielder discovered the severity of his injury only after the World Cup and faces a long recovery. He is furious with the Dutch national team's medical staff.
Barcelona officially announced on Friday that Frenkie de Jong is suffering from a tear in the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. According to the club's medical report, the Dutch midfielder will undergo conservative treatment in the coming weeks, with his condition monitored by the club's medical staff. At this stage, it has been decided to avoid surgery.
Barcelona did not publish a recovery timeline for de Jong, stating only that he will remain under the supervision of the club's medical staff. Even without an official estimate, this is a significant blow ahead of the new season. If it later turns out that surgery is necessary, this type of injury typically sidelines players for five to six months.
De Jong played throughout the World Cup despite knee pain, but his condition worsened over time. Initially, reports from the Netherlands suggested the injury was not serious, but tests conducted at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper last week revealed the full extent of the damage to his right knee.
According to a report by COPE, the 28-year-old midfielder blames the Dutch national team's medical staff for the deterioration of his condition, as they assured him the injury was not serious and allowed him to continue playing through the pain. This sequence of events, in which the severity of the injury only became clear after his return to Barcelona, has left de Jong frustrated with how his condition was assessed during the World Cup, with the Dutch medical staff now facing intense criticism for their conduct.
