Xavi is not counting on Frenkie de Jong for the time being, the FC Barcelona coach said at a press conference in the run-up to the away match against RCD Mallorca on Tuesday. The Dutchman was injured in the match against Celta de Vigo and was already spotted with crutches. The midfielder is expected to be out for at least a few weeks.
According to various Spanish media, De Jong will be out for five weeks. Xavi did not want to discuss the exact duration, but the Spanish coach confirmed that he is no longer counting on the Dutchman for the international match. “The loss of Frenkie is a huge loss for us, because of our playing style and the exceptionally high level he has achieved since last season,” sighs Xavi.
The ex-Ajax player arrived at the club on crutches and therefore appears to have to miss the Dutch national team’s international matches with France and Greece. That is a big disappointment for national coach Ronald Koeman, who is one of the first to write De Jong’s name on the scoresheet. In addition to the international commitments, the Dutchman will also miss a crucial part of the Champions League group stage, against Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.
It is also not inconceivable that De Jong El Clasico fog. The match against Real Madrid is scheduled for October 28. Xavi therefore has to figure out his midfield. With Pedri, the Spaniard is missing an important midfielder in addition to De Jong. It is expected that Gavi, Ilkay Gündogan and Oriol Romeu will form the Catalan midfield for the time being.
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