Frenkie de Jong Returns to Barcelona Group Training After Injury

FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong returned to group training after spending 75 days sidelined with a right knee medial collateral ligament tear. The Dutch international sustained the injury on June 16, 2026, during a training session with the Netherlands national team, though medical staff initially assessed the issue as minor.

Conservative Treatment Path Followed After World Cup Diagnosis

De Jong continued to play through discomfort before taking a vacation, following which a more severe diagnosis was established upon his return to Barcelona. Testing determined that the ligament damage was more significant than first realized during the World Cup. Rather than undergoing surgery, the player opted for a conservative rehabilitation program. The recovery timeline extended to 75 days from the official club diagnosis issued on July 23.

Precedents Set by Lionel Messi and Gabriel Jesus

Barcelona’s choice of a conservative approach for De Jong mirrors past injury management for high-profile forwards. Lionel Messi suffered a left knee medial collateral ligament tear on September 26, 2015, against Las Palmas, with the club setting an anticipated recovery of seven to eight weeks. Messi returned to a call-up exactly 56 days later for El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu, having spent over a week integrated in team training. Similarly, Gabriel Jesus sustained a minor medial collateral ligament tear on December 31, 2017, against Crystal Palace without requiring surgery, returning to competition in approximately eight weeks under manager Pep Guardiola.

Weather Disruptions at Ciutat Esportiva Training Ground

Heavy rainfall affecting the Catalan coastline forced manager Hansi Flick to cancel a planned outdoor training session at the Ciutat Esportiva. De Jong and several teammates—including Wojciech Szczesny, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, Brian Fariñas, Gabriel Jesus, and Gerard Martín—conducted their recovery work indoors in the gymnasium. Despite returning to collective drills, the coaching staff intends to manage De Jong’s workload carefully to eliminate competitive risks after nearly four months of absence from the pitch. It was planned that Joao Cancelo and Karim Adeyemi would incorporate into the sessions.

Midfield Hierarchy Shifts During Long Absence

During De Jong’s extended absence from club duties, Barcelona’s central midfield structure evolved. Rodri now commands the Blaugrana midfield, altering the tactics De Jong left behind when he departed for international duty over the summer. Meanwhile, international players such as Karim Adeyemi rejoined squad activities following commitments with Germany, where the forward featured against the Netherlands and Greece. Adeyemi played on the right wing in both games during the break, featuring for 80 minutes and providing an assist in a 1-1 draw against the Dutch before playing 76 minutes against Greece. For Barcelona, Adeyemi has accumulated three starts accompanied by three goals and three assists.

Barcelona Monitors Player Fitness Before October Fixtures

Barcelona prepares for domestic competition with several players monitored for fitness ahead of upcoming fixtures. Raphinha also trained apart from the group following mild right thigh muscular discomfort sustained while representing Brazil against Australia. The club anticipates the full reintegration of all remaining international players by Thursday, with domestic fixtures resuming ahead of a target competitive return for De Jong toward the end of October, specifically eyeing the October 31 fixture against Alavés following a match against Getafe at the Spotify Camp Nou.

More on this story: Éric García Returns to FC Barcelona Full Training · Raphinha, Joan Garcia and De Jong undergo individual training at Barcelona