De Jong confirms Barça’s fear with a torn ligament in his knee

FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has a torn internal lateral ligament in his right knee, which means he could be out for several weeks and will miss the start of the 2026/27 season, after finishing the World Cup with problems.

“The tests carried out on the first team player Frenkie de Jong have determined that he suffers a rupture of the internal lateral ligament in his right knee. It has been agreed that the player will continue under treatment and medical monitoring, pending his evolution over the coming weeks,” says the medical report.

The Dutchman ended up injured in the recent World Cup and joined the Barça preseason ahead of time to evaluate a possible injury that marked Barça’s current situation. The Barça team confirmed the bad omens and Hansi Flick will not be able to count on one of his key pieces in the midfield along with Pedri.

The Dutchman played the World Cup with discomfort, even with a bandage in the last games, and ended up suffering an injury that, for the moment, rules out undergoing surgery. The length of time out for De Jong, who has been suffering from a lot of physical problems in the last two years, will depend on his evolution, but it points to a long-term absence that Flick will have to manage.

Despite the bad news, and still with the option of going to the market, the German coach has many midfielders, in addition to what may come from La Masía, such as Pedri himself, Gavi, Fermín López, Dani Olmo, Marc Bernal, and even Eric García and Andreas Christensen.