Barcelona midfielder De Jong to undergo ankle surgery if injury does not improve

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong was ruled out with an ankle injury in mid-April against Real Madrid, but the Dutchman was expected to make Euro 2024. After being ruled out in early June though, he still has not recovered.

The Blaugrana returned to work yesterday, beginning with medical tests, and while de Jong could not participate in their training, he did do his physical. In a video posted by Barcelona, it was noticed that his left ankle was still significantly swollen.

They will try to increase the workload on the ankle in the coming days to see how it responds to pressure, but Sport say if it does not show progress, then he is likely to undergo keyhole surgery to address the issue. That would likely keep him out for multiple months.

De Jong suffered three ankle injuries last season, and struggled to string together a series of games without fitness issues. One of Barcelona’s key issues last year was a rotating cast of midfielders around Ilkay Gundogan, and de Jong would have been hoping for a fresh lease of life under Hansi Flick, and a presumably more direct style of football.