Barcelona furious with Netherlands over De Jong injury; surgery could sideline him 4-6 months

Hupu Football News — July 15th

According to As newspaper's Catalan reporter Javi Miguel, Frenkie de Jong's right knee is severely swollen and the joint is unstable. Ligament damage has been confirmed, and surgery has not been ruled out. Barcelona is extremely dissatisfied with how the Netherlands national team handled the player's injury, believing they took completely unacceptable risks.

Early Return and Concerning Diagnosis

On Monday, when De Jong appeared at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, even the most pessimistic observers did not expect the situation to be so serious. The midfielder was originally granted leave until July 20 but returned early, hoping the club would examine his severely inflamed right knee.

De Jong first met with Hansi Flick to explain why he had returned early. The team doctor then conducted a preliminary examination, confirming that his right knee is very unstable, with possible ligament damage. However, due to internal bleeding in the knee, an MRI cannot be performed yet, and tests will need to wait several days.

Allegations of Deception

Barcelona is very surprised by the situation, believing they were deceived by those responsible for the Dutch national team. The club knew De Jong received two injections before the last two matches against Tunisia and Morocco but was completely unaware that his injury had reached this severity. Barcelona even suspects that De Jong played against Morocco while injured, and that match went into extra time, drastically worsening the injury.

Potential Long-Term Absence

Final test results are still pending, but Barcelona is very pessimistic about the condition of De Jong's right knee and has not ruled out the need for surgery. If surgery is confirmed, De Jong is expected to be out for four to six months.

Anger Directed at Koeman, Medical Team, and De Jong

In this context, Barcelona is extremely angry with Ronald Koeman, the Dutch medical team, and De Jong himself over how the matter was handled. The club understands that match circumstances may require some perseverance from players, but player health should take priority over other considerations. Internally, Barcelona believes those responsible were negligent in this matter, taking completely unacceptable risks.

A Barcelona insider said: "Let's see how Koeman and Frenki explain this big problem."

The club has realized that they may be without the Dutch international for a long time. As for Koeman, Barcelona has not forgotten his previous complaints about how the club handled De Jong's return at the end of the 2023-24 season, believing that handling ultimately led to the player missing the European Championship.

Criticism of Dutch Medical Staff

Barcelona is also dissatisfied with the Dutch team's doctors. They previously assured that everything was under control and that injections were always administered under strict supervision. But based on current results, Barcelona believes the Dutch team made a risky decision, subjecting the player to unnecessary physical load, ultimately causing very serious consequences.

De Jong Under Scrutiny

De Jong himself is also at the center of a media storm, as he failed to stop and protect himself in time, potentially facing an injury that could keep him off the field for nearly half a year.

Source: As

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