Frenkie de Jong Returns to Training with Barcelona, Set to Feature Against PSG
Good news for Barcelona and especially for Xavi Hernández as Frenkie de Jong participated in part of Thursday’s training session alongside his teammates. However, the club chose not to officially announce the Dutch midfielder’s progress, despite him being 99% recovered from his ankle sprain. Following today’s session, it’s evident that the former Ajax player will be available for the Parc des Princes clash.
The FC Barcelona social media accounts simply reported on the training session with “available players,” including members of the B team. Typically, when an injured player rejoins the group, the club makes an announcement, either stating their return to training or their participation in part of the session with the team. However, on Thursday, the club opted not to disclose that De Jong had completed a portion of the session with the rest of the squad.
Initially, Saturday’s training match was set as the crucial test to determine whether both Pedri and Frenkie de Jong would be fit for inclusion in the squad for Paris. While the match will be important for Pedri to assess his sensations, it appears that De Jong’s presence in Paris is already assured. His injury was not muscular but rather traumatic, and his participation in training on Thursday implicitly confirms his availability for the first leg of the quarter-finals. Barring any unexpected setbacks in the upcoming sessions, this will be the case.
Xavi must decide whether De Jong will start or come off the bench. Christensen is expected to start in midfield after a month without playing, meaning that fielding De Jong alongside him would involve pairing two players with limited match fitness. De Jong has not played since March 3rd when he sustained the ankle injury against Athletic Bilbao. Therefore, it’s logical to imagine a scenario where De Jong is an option for Xavi in the second half. His physical condition in the upcoming training sessions may help the coach finalize his decision.
