After a past season marked by injuries, due to his battered ankle, caution is necessary with Frenkie De Jong and this is what the Dutch coach, Ronald Koeman, has understood, who has released the Barça midfielder as a precaution for the commitment in Bosnia once qualification for the next phase of the Nations League has been secured.
“Both Frenkie and Virgil (Van Dijk) are better off leaving the training ground at this time. “This decision was made for medical reasons, taking of course the interest of the players first,” Koeman said about the Blaugrana and the veteran Liverpool defender, another important player for the national team.
Both De Jong and Van Dijk are better off leaving the training ground at this time. “This decision was made for medical reasons.”
De Jong, who had not played for the Netherlands since September 10, 2023 in Dublin against Ireland, returned as a starter in the match against Hungary that ended with a rout by Koeman’s team (4-0) at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
With the game already decided, the Barça player was replaced in the 68th minute by Koopmeiner, who ended up closing the scoring with the fourth Orange goal. The Netherlands, with no chance of reaching first place in Germany, will complete the international break with the duel against Bosnia. “I still have moments of sensitivity while playing, due to injuries, I need more games and minutes to gain confidence. I’m not saying it’s a risk, but the feeling is not the same as it was before,” declared De Jong after the match against the Magyars. .
In this way, the Dutch midfielder will be placed at the disposal of coach Hansi Flick in the coming days and will be able to prepare with margin for Barça’s return to competition on November 23 in Balaídos against Celta, an a priori difficult duel that will put proves the leadership in the Barcelona League.
Read also
After almost six months out due to his injury and subsequent ankle discomfort, De Jong reappeared for the Blaugrana in October against Young Boys on the second day of the Champions League. Since then he has played a total of six games, with increasing prominence, but in the last duel against Real Sociedad, just before the matches with the national team, he was replaced with a strong blow to his left tibia.
#Koeman #releases #Jong #returns #Barcelona
