Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has this weekend provided an insight into the challenges which still face him when taking to the pitch.
Midfielder De Jong is for his part fresh off a return from a long-term spell on the sidelines.
Owing to an ankle injury suffered all the way back in April, the 27-year-old was forced to sit out the European Championships, as well as pre-season and the early weeks of the new campaign with Barcelona.
After a drawn-out recovery process spanning several months longer than first hoped, De Jong finally managed his comeback early last month, in a Champions League meeting with Young Boys.
As much was followed by a long-awaited return to international duty on Saturday, when the former Ajax man featured from the off in The Netherlands’ comfortable Nations League downing of Hungary.
And yet, if the latest comments laid out by De Jong himself are anything to go by, then he appears to have some way to go yet when it comes to recovering full fitness.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of last night’s action in Amsterdam, the midfielder explained:
“I still have pain while playing. I need to gain back my confidence in doing certain things on the pitch. I am not saying it’s a risk, but the feeling is still not as it was. It should improve from now onwards.”
Conor Laird – GSFN
