Barcelona are concerned about Frenkie de Jong’s recovery after his medial collateral ligament injury, diagnosed days ago. The Dutch midfielder chose conservative treatment over immediate surgery, a decision that revives the ghosts of 2022 with Ansu Fati. The club fears that if the plan fails, the captain’s absence could stretch beyond expectations, just as the team sits on 94 points in the final 2025 LaLiga table and starts the new season with two straight losses.
What happened to Frenkie de Jong?
The midfielder suffered a sprain of the medial collateral ligament a few days ago, as confirmed by the club. While the injury isn’t identical to Ansu Fati’s in 2022, the comparison comes from the medical approach. Barcelona preferred surgery as the safer option, but De Jong opted for conservative treatment, prioritizing recovery without immediate surgery. The Dutchman had already played the 2026 World Cup with discomfort, which drew criticism and forced him to issue a public statement reaffirming his commitment to Barça.
The board is watching every step of the rehabilitation closely. If the current plan doesn’t work, surgery could be imposed later, further delaying his return. The club lost valuable time with Fati, and now it doesn’t want to repeat the same story with its captain, who leads the side with an eight-point lead over Real Madrid in the final 2025 LaLiga standings.
Why Barça fears repeating the mistake with Ansu Fati
In 2022, Fati rejected surgery twice despite the club’s medical recommendations. The winger returned, but constant setbacks prevented him from regaining his best form-the kind that made him one of La Masía’s brightest talents. Barça doesn’t want to relive that scenario with De Jong, a key midfielder in a team that scored 95 goals and conceded just 36 in the 2025 season.
The board has also criticized the Royal Dutch Football Association and Ronald Koeman for allowing De Jong to play the World Cup with discomfort. Though the past can’t be changed, the focus now is on giving the captain every guarantee to recover without setbacks. Conservative treatment is a valid option for this injury, and many players return without surgery-but Barça prefers not to take the risk.
What’s next for the captain and the team?
De Jong now faces a rehabilitation process that could last weeks or months. Barcelona relies on his recovery to maintain momentum in a season where the side sits on 94 points and leads the table by a wide margin. The last result, a 3-1 loss to Valencia on May 23, 2026, left Barça on a two-game losing streak in its last five matches (2W-0D-3L, LLWWL).
The club trusts that history won’t repeat itself. Every injury is different, and the Dutchman has time to return to the starting XI. Meanwhile, the team remains in the title race, eight points clear of Real Madrid, and must now put the ghosts of the past behind it.
