Xavi Anxious as De Jong's Injury Lingers and Barcelona Adapts
Frenkie de Jong’s season has not even started, and already it feels like it’s slipping away from him.
The Barcelona midfielder returned from the FIFA World Cup with what was initially described as a minor problem. He played through the pain, pushed his body for club and country, and came back to Catalonia in far worse shape than when he left. The “niggle” turned into a serious right knee ligament issue, and now he has been ruled out for the opening months of the new campaign.
What looked manageable has become a long, uncomfortable wait.
Xavi worried on two fronts
The concern is not only Barcelona’s. According to SPORT, Xavi Hernandez is deeply worried about De Jong’s slow recovery and the uncertainty around his return.
This time, though, Xavi is watching the situation from a very different seat.
The former Barça coach has just been appointed manager of the Dutch national team, stepping into a role once held by another Camp Nou great, Ronald Koeman. De Jong is expected to be one of the pillars of the Oranje under Xavi, a player to build around in midfield. Instead, the new national team boss is starting his tenure with his key midfielder stuck in rehab.
As things stand, De Jong is still dealing with the knee ligament problem and is following a conservative treatment plan. There is no fixed return date. No clear timeline. And, crucially, the recovery is not progressing as quickly as hoped.
If that stagnation continues, surgery will move from a distant possibility to a very real option. And that would change everything.
Race against the calendar
Time is not on anyone’s side here. Xavi is due to make his debut as Netherlands manager late in September. The chances of De Jong being ready for that first international break are described as close to impossible.
For a coach trying to imprint his ideas on a new group, missing a central figure like De Jong from day one is a major blow. For the player, it’s another reminder that the clock is ticking while others play.
De Jong, though, remains convinced that going under the knife is not the answer. He believes conservative management will be enough, that patience and treatment can save him from a lengthy layoff and the risks of surgery.
The medical staff, however, will be watching closely. If the knee does not respond, the decision could be taken out of his hands.
Barcelona move on
While De Jong works in the shadows, Barcelona have had to act in the spotlight.
The club have already brought in Rodri, who is expected to take the Dutchman’s place in the starting XI. That changes the internal landscape. Every match Rodri plays, every good performance he strings together, makes De Jong’s path back into the team a little steeper.
From automatic starter to injured observer, the shift is brutal.
For the midfielder, the frustration is obvious: he can only watch as his role on the pitch is filled, his influence diluted. For Barça, the calculation is colder. They need reliability in the middle of the park, and they cannot wait forever.
High stakes for season and future
Behind all this sits a bigger risk. If De Jong does end up needing surgery now, he could miss the majority of the season. That would not only hit Barcelona’s sporting plans, it would also heavily complicate any potential move in the winter window.
A long-term injury is the enemy of both form and market value.
So the club are hoping his confidence in conservative treatment is justified. Xavi is hoping the same, both as a former mentor and as the man who now needs him in orange. And De Jong is fighting to ensure this season doesn’t become the one that passed him by before it ever really began.
