Frenkie de Jong will be out for the next few weeks after it was confirmed this Monday, after the relevant medical tests, that he suffers a new sprain to his battered right ankle. The Barça player left the League classic against Real Madrid injured after a strong clash with the white footballer Fede Valverde.
In stoppage time of the first half, the Dutchman went to dispute a divided ball with the Uruguayan, who went at it with more force, trying to kick the ball in the direction of the Blaugrana goal, while De Jong went with less decision to for the ball and got the worst of it. The Blaugrana was replaced by Pedri.
The ball remained in play, but the match referee, Soto Grado, stopped the match due to De Jong’s complaints of pain, lying on the Bernabéu grass. Barça medical assistance attended to the Blaugrana player, who tried to stand up without success before being taken off the field on a stretcher.
De Jong injured the same ankle in September during the matchday six match against Celta. A tibiofibular syndesmosis kept him out of the competition for two months and caused him to miss 10 games.
On March 3, he again suffered a sprain to the external lateral ligament in the same ankle against Athletic in San Mamés that kept him in the infirmary for more than a month. After missing four games, he reappeared in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against PSG. Just two games later, De Jong is back in dry dock.
De Jong is, along with Gavi and Balde, both with long-term injuries, the only players in the Blaugrana squad who are out due to physical problems.
