Barcelona: De Jong may be out over 4 months; club eyes injury exception to free salary space

Hupu Football News | July 23rd

According to Diario Sport, Barcelona will begin the new season without Frenkie de Jong, though the club must still determine the full extent of his knee injury and expected recovery time. The Catalan side is awaiting the Dutch midfielder's return from vacation to make a final diagnosis, but the outlook is not optimistic.

Injury Severity and Financial Implications

If De Jong's knee injury is confirmed as serious, Barcelona plans to process a long-term injury leave cancellation to free up additional salary space for the first team. This move, however, requires the player's consent. The club is dissatisfied with how both the Dutch national team and De Jong himself handled the situation and hopes to resolve the matter completely this week.

De Jong sustained a relatively serious knee injury upon returning from the World Cup, and reports indicate he played through pain in his final appearances for the Netherlands. During his vacation, the midfielder voluntarily visited Barcelona's training base for a comprehensive examination by the club's medical staff. Those checks are now complete, and his absence may exceed four months.

Compensation and Registration Relief

Should De Jong be confirmed out until at least December, Barcelona is inclined to process the long-term injury leave cancellation. Since the injury occurred during the World Cup, the club will receive compensation from FIFA—potentially over €2 million. Additionally, until De Jong is cleared to play, Barcelona can use a portion of his salary to register other players. As one of the squad's highest earners, this could free up significant registration capacity.

Immediate Plans and Squad Impact

De Jong is due to report back this week but is clearly unable to participate in normal training and is not expected to travel with the squad to England for pre-season. Barcelona must now announce his expected absence timeline and specific rehabilitation plan. This is a heavy blow for Hansi Flick's new project, as De Jong was originally a key figure in his plans.

Barcelona currently does not plan to sign a new midfielder. The club believes it has sufficient options in that position and is prepared to give more opportunities to players capable of filling the defensive midfield role in front of the backline. Marc Bernal is the most obvious replacement, and this opportunity could be a crucial chance for him to establish himself in the first team. Since arriving at Barcelona, Flick has shown strong trust in Bernal, and the club believes he can become the main defensive midfielder for the next decade.

De Jong's injury will not alter Marc Casadó's situation. Barcelona has decided to listen to offers for the youth academy product, hoping to facilitate a transfer beneficial to all parties. His departure process is likely to accelerate further in August.

Club Seeks Clarity on Injury Cause

Barcelona also wants to clarify the specific cause of De Jong's injury and the measures taken during the Dutch national team's training camp. The club believes this injury could have been avoided but will now negatively impact both Barcelona and the player.

Source: Diario Sport