Frenkie de Jong Set for Major Barcelona Recovery Step After International Break

Barcelona have received encouraging news regarding Frenkie de Jong, with the midfielder expected to take another major step in his recovery from a knee injury next week.

The Netherlands international has yet to feature for Barça this season after suffering the injury while representing his country during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Surgery was considered at one stage, but De Jong ultimately opted for conservative treatment instead.

While that decision initially raised some questions, the 29-year-old has continued to make steady progress and is now approaching his return to team training.

De Jong Expected to Rejoin Group Training

According to journalist Laia Tudel of Tot Costa, De Jong has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and is now ready to increase the intensity of his work.

The former Ajax midfielder has spent the past few weeks training individually at the Ciutat Esportiva.

However, that phase is now coming to an end.

De Jong is expected to begin working with his teammates next week when Barcelona's squad returns from the international break.

His return will be carefully managed. Rather than immediately completing full sessions, the midfielder is expected to participate in only part of the group training initially.

The workload will then gradually increase from day to day as Barcelona's medical and coaching staff monitor his response.

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Barcelona Are Not Setting a Comeback Date Yet

Despite the positive development, Barcelona are not putting a specific date on De Jong's return to competitive football.

That is understandable given the nature of his injury and the decision to treat it without surgery.

Once he begins training with the rest of the squad, De Jong, the coaching staff and the medical department will assess his condition together.

One of the most important factors will be how his knee responds as the intensity increases.

The coming week should therefore provide a much clearer indication of how close the midfielder is to returning to match action.