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After a prolonged wait, Frenkie de Jong made his return to action for FC Barcelona recently and is slowly building up his match rhythm.
The 27-year-old Dutchman got some minutes in the matches against Young Boys and Alaves before the international break and played briefly against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last week.
But it was Saturday’s 45-minute second-half display against Real Madrid which showed that De Jong is ready for a greater workload after spending more than five months out.
Set for start vs Espanyol
As such, SPORT reports that Frenkie de Jong appears all set to start for Barcelona when they take on local rivals RCD Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday night.
As mentioned earlier, De Jong looked solid in his second-half display against Real Madrid on Saturday, with his introduction at half-time helping the Blaugrana dominate their hosts on the way to a 4-0 triumph.
De Jong did well vs Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)The former AFC Ajax ace oozed elegance as he conducted the team’s play, was sharp in pressing and recovering the ball, and drew fouls.
It was, in a way, a return to form of one of Barcelona’s most prominent investments in recent history, that too in a game of big magnitude.
De Jong enjoyed an uninterrupted and unperturbed run for 45 minutes in the Clasico and his good showcase, coupled with the workload management of other midfielders, is set to earn him a starting berth this weekend in the Catalan derby.
Manager Hansi Flick fully trusts the Dutchman and believes he can be an integral part of his team in the future.
However, Barcelona must resolve De Jong’s contract situation soon, with his current deal expiring in 2026 and no progress made in renewal talks.
*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.
