Frenkie de Jong Hits Back on Social Media After Barcelona Confirm Brutal Knee Injury

The Dutchman reported to Barcelona’s preseason with a significant injury suffered during the World Cup.

Barcelona will be without Frenkie de Jong for a significant period thanks to injury—again. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Barcelona have confirmed midfielder Frenkie de Jong suffered a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) that won’t require surgery, but will force him to miss the start of the 2026–27 season.

De Jong started every game for the Netherlands during its 2026 World Cup journey, and he was seen wearing a heavy wrap around his right knee. The Dutchman reported to Barcelona’s preseason early to get a clear injury diagnosis and after over a week of undergoing medical tests, the Catalans officially announced the extent of the the issue.

“Tests carried out on first-team player Frenkie de Jong have confirmed a tear of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee,” Barcelona said in a statement.

“It has been agreed that the player will continue with conservative treatment under the supervision of the Club's medical staff. His progress will be monitored over the coming weeks.”

The conservative treatment De Jong will follow is expected to sideline him for various weeks. However, if the initial approach is ultimately unsuccessful, surgery will become unavoidable, and De Jong could potentially miss up to four months.

Barcelona are reportedly furious at De Jong but particularly the Dutch medical staff for allowing the midfielder to play despite the obvious knee injury.

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De Jong Sets Record Straight on Knee Injury

Frenkie de Jong (left) played during the World Cup with a significant knee-wrap. | Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

Part of the anger towards De Jong’s new injury stems from the speculation that he prioritized being fit for the World Cup rather than being a significant contributor for Barcelona during the 2025–26 run-in. De Jong didn’t start a single game for Barcelona since Feb. 22 until the end of the season as he slowly recovered from a hamstring injury.

He then started every game the Netherlands played this summer and will now once again miss considerable time for the Catalans. With all the negative noise surrounding the situation, De Jong released a lengthy statement on social media to share his side of the story.

“During the World Cup, I got injured on my knee,” De Jong wrote. “After the first assessments, the doctors told me it was a small injury and that it wouldn’t get worse if I continued playing. The only challenge was playing with some pain, but throughout my career I have done that whenever I could contribute to the team, both for my club and my country.

“In my holiday, I returned to Barcelona for further examinations. These showed that the injury was more serious than initially determined. Thankfully, at this stage there is no need for surgery, and I am now fully focused on my recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible.

“Every day, I work to be in the best possible shape. I take my profession, my body and my responsibility to the team extremely seriously. But sometimes there are things you cannot control, and this injury is one of them.

"Playing for Barça and [Netherlands] something I feel incredibly proud of, and my commitment to both will never change. I will continue to give everything for this badge, for my teammates and for our fans. There are still many moments to create and goals we want to achieve together. Thank you for all your support. I can’t wait to be back. Visca Barça Sempre.”

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Barcelona’s Transfer Strategy Remains Unchanged

Hansi Flick has plenty of alternatives to deal with De Jong’s absence. | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Even if the worst case scenario materializes and De Jong is out for the considerable future, Barcelona aren’t currently exploring the market for a new central midfielder that could fill the Dutchman’s void, per Marca.

Barcelona have a wealth of quality midfield options to shoulder De Jong’s absence. Pedri, Gavi, Marc Bernal, Fermín López, Dani Olmo and even Eric García all played regular minutes in Flick’s midfield pivot a season ago.

Marc Casadó has been heavily linked with a move elsewhere, but as long as he remains at the club, he’s another option Flick could turn to. Furthermore, up and coming La Masia talents Tommy Marques and Brian Fariñas are also expected to get more opportunities with the first team in 2026–27.

Barcelona’s main focus during what remains of the transfer window continues to be acquiring a new world-class center forward to replace Robert Lewandowski. Furthermore, the Catalans are also eyeing a new center back, with Aymeric Laporte now viewed as an ideal target to replicate Spain’s World Cup-winning partnership alongside Pau Cubarsí.

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