It has been four months since Frenkie de Jong injured his ankle in El Clásico, and the Dutch midfielder is yet to return to action despite an initial timetable of 4-6 weeks for his recovery.
The last time we heard any type of report on his status was two weeks ago, when Diario AS claimed Barça were “unable to predict” when De Jong would be back in action. And the newest update on Frenkie’s situation might be the most worrying yet.
According to a report from Catalan radio RAC1, De Jong has been told by medical professionals that surgery is the only course of action that will ensure his ankle gets back to 100%, and that conservative treatments might no longer work since the problem appears to have become chronic after Frenkie sustained three successive injuries to the same spot in just over eight months last season.