RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Barcelona midfielder makes recovery progress but tells medical staff he is still in pain
Frenkie de Jong has taken a strong step in his recovery from a serious knee injury, but Barcelona are still waiting for the moment when the midfielder can finally begin working with the squad again.
The Dutchman returned to the pitch on Tuesday for a short individual session at the Ciutat Esportiva, putting his boots on and completing controlled running exercises as part of his rehabilitation.
It is a positive development in itself, although the session also confirmed why Barcelona are not yet thinking about a quick return.
According to SPORT , De Jong told the club’s medical staff that he still feels pain when he slows down or stops running.
That discomfort remains the main obstacle in his recovery and means he is still some time away from rejoining Hansi Flick’s group.
De Jong is back on the grass, but…
Tuesday’s individual session was designed to test how De Jong’s right knee is responding to the work he has completed in recent weeks.
The midfielder carried out solo running and carefully controlled exercises rather than joining full team training.
The aim was to increase his work on the pitch while allowing the medical staff to monitor his response.
The good news is that De Jong was able to return to the grass. The less encouraging part is what happened when he began changing his speed.
The Dutch midfielder is still experiencing pain, particularly when braking after running.
His recovery is therefore progressing, but it has not yet reached the stage where Flick can begin planning his return to the squad.
Barcelona remain cautious
De Jong’s absence dates back to the injury he suffered while representing his country at the World Cup.
Frenkie de Jong returned to training but only momentarily. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
After returning to Barcelona, tests confirmed that he had suffered a tear to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
The player decided against surgery and instead placed himself on a conservative treatment programme.
Since then, his progress has been closely managed.
The next step will depend entirely on how his knee reacts over the coming days.
Once the pain begins to ease, Barcelona can gradually increase his training load before eventually considering a return to group sessions.
For now, there is no fixed timetable being pushed because the club know that rushing a knee injury could create bigger problems later.
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