Barcelona midfield superstar’s presence against Valencia not guaranteed – report

In under a month, FC Barcelona will kick off the 2024/25 season under new manager Hansi Flick when they take on Valencia at the Mestalla.

Even though there are a few weeks left for the campaign to begin, the Blaugrana have already been dealing with injury problems.

Gavi is still not ready for a return while Pedri also appears set to miss the game through an injury he sustained during the Euros. Ronald Araujo, too, will be unavailable as he is out for four months.

Frenkie de Jong a doubt to face Valencia

Now, according to journalist Alex Pintanel, midfielder Frenkie de Jong could also be unavailable for selection when Barcelona take on Valencia next month.

De Jong has been sidelined since April with an ankle injury. Even though he was initially expected to be back in time for the Euros, it has not materialised.

Still not ready for a comeback. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

In fact, the Netherlands international is yet to start pre-season training with the rest of the squad under new manager Hansi Flick.

Earlier this month, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman revealed that the midfielder was worried about his injury and felt it was serious.

“Of course, I talk to him, we know each other well, he is worried about his injury. He has a serious injury and we have to wait and see how it goes. I wish him luck and an early recovery, but he’s not ready to play yet,” Koeman said.

And, as per the aforementioned report, there are no guarantees that De Jong will have recovered sufficiently enough in time to face Valencia next month.

It is certainly a cause for concern for Barcelona who will be hoping to have the 26-year-old midfielder back at their disposal as soon as possible.