Barcelona faced a tense moment as midfielder Frenkie de Jong was carried off the pitch on a stretcher just before the halftime whistle during their recent match.
Concerns loomed over the severity of his injury, prompting the club to send him for ankle scans on Monday.
The diagnosis revealed an ankle sprain, but Barcelona refrained from specifying a timeline for his return to play.
However, various sources, including ESPN and SPORT, have reported that de Jong is expected to be sidelined for at least five weeks.
With only six games remaining in the La Liga season, this unfortunate setback effectively marks the end of the 26-year-old’s campaign.
Manager Xavi faces the challenge of coping with de Jong’s absence amid other ongoing squad issues, including the long-term absence of Gavi.
Nonetheless, Xavi can draw some comfort from the return of Pedri and the versatility of players like Andreas Christensen, who has been deployed in midfield.
In the recent match against Madrid, Pedri was brought on to replace de Jong, while Fermin Lopez entered the game at halftime and made a notable impact by finding the back of the net.
These players, along with others in the squad, will need to step up to fill the void left by de Jong’s absence for the remainder of the season.
Looking ahead, Barcelona’s upcoming fixtures include matches against Valencia, Girona, Real Sociedad, Almeria, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla.
De Jong’s projected five-week absence could potentially see him return to action shortly after the conclusion of the La Liga season on May 26.
However, doubts linger regarding his availability for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, scheduled to begin on June 16 with a match against Poland, followed by encounters with France and Austria.
As de Jong embarks on his recovery journey, both Barcelona and the Dutch national team will closely monitor his progress, hoping for a swift and complete recovery in time for the upcoming challenges on the international stage.
