Two months after his injury, De Jong still faces a decision that could cost him the season

More than two months have passed since Frenkie de Jong injured his right knee, yet Barcelona still have no clear date for his return. According to AS, the midfielder’s rehabilitation has stalled and the club are once again advising him to undergo surgery. De Jong remains determined to exhaust the possibilities offered by conservative treatment.

Neither route provides a simple answer. Surgery would offer greater confidence in the long-term stability of the knee but could keep him out until the spring. Continuing without an operation preserves the possibility of returning this year, although there is no guarantee that the treatment will work as hoped.

THREE MATCHES THROUGH PAIN

AS reports that De Jong played the Netherlands’ final three World Cup matches while experiencing pain in his right knee. The discomfort became progressively worse and reportedly left him visibly restricted against Morocco.

The midfielder later argued that the original assessment had underestimated the seriousness of the problem. After the Netherlands were eliminated, he went on holiday before reporting back to the Ciutat Esportiva on July 13. The pain and swelling remained, leading to further examinations in Barcelona.

Those tests reportedly revealed a tear to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

TWO OPTIONS, NEITHER WITHOUT RISK

The medical staff are said to have presented De Jong with two possible courses of action. Surgery would require an estimated recovery period of five to six months but offer stronger guarantees that the knee could regain full stability.

Conservative treatment carried a more attractive initial timetable. If successful, it could have allowed him to return after approximately three months. The drawback was a lower level of certainty over the final condition of the joint.

De Jong chose the second option despite the club’s medical staff reportedly favouring surgery. His position is understandable. An operation would remove most of the season before it had properly begun. The problem is that time has continued to pass without the improvement everyone expected.

THE FIRST TEST DID NOT GO TO PLAN

After roughly six weeks of rehabilitation, De Jong returned to the pitch on August 25 to test the stability of the knee. The session did not deliver positive signs and the midfielder reportedly had to stop because of the way it felt.

Barcelona then renewed their recommendation that he undergo surgery. AS also claims surgeon Joan Carles Monllau met the player and identified an operation as the preferable solution. De Jong has not changed his position and still wants to explore every remaining alternative before accepting a surgical procedure.

This is not a case of a player casually delaying his return. He is choosing between a lengthy operation and a less invasive route with fewer guarantees. Barcelona, meanwhile, are wary of another recovery process becoming a recurring problem after the difficult injury histories of Samuel Umtiti and Ansu Fati.

BARCELONA PREPARE FOR A LONG ABSENCE

The club’s public position is to assess De Jong’s condition on a daily basis without providing a return date. AS nevertheless links the signing of Rodri and Brian Fariñas’ promotion to the first team with Barcelona’s limited expectations of having the Dutchman available soon.

That does not establish De Jong’s injury as the sole reason behind either decision. It does indicate that Barcelona have strengthened midfield while preparing for the possibility of a prolonged absence. For once, the emergency plan arrived before the emergency had time to request its own squad number.

De Jong will also miss the beginning of Xavi Hernández’s spell as Netherlands coach. Xavi has stressed that a complete recovery must be the priority and will not have the midfielder available for the match against Germany on September 24.

SURGERY COULD DELAY HIS RETURN UNTIL APRIL

The international break at the end of September is expected to become the decisive point in the process. If De Jong eventually undergoes surgery, AS estimates that he would not return until April 2027. That would effectively remove almost the entire season from his calendar.

Should he persist with conservative treatment, the most optimistic scenario would involve a return in November. Even then, the timetable and the eventual stability of the knee would remain uncertain.

Neither FC Barcelona nor De Jong has issued a new official statement confirming these recovery dates. For now, the details remain a media report rather than a club announcement. What is clear is that the original three-month plan has encountered a serious obstacle, and delaying the final decision could make an already difficult season even shorter.