Frenkie de Jong to miss crucial stretch for Barcelona with muscle injury ahead of La Liga and Copa del Rey clashes

Barcelona was ready to enter the most important part of the season with their best team. With the midfield not having the ideal setup because of several injuries, they now appear forced to prepare for the match against Villarreal in La Liga without Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutch midfielder could not finish Thursday morning’s training session with the rest of the squad, according to Marca. His problem was initially reported as a muscle issue in his thigh. It was later confirmed to be a strain in the distal hamstring of the right leg that will sideline him for five to six weeks.

This comes at a very bad time for manager Hansi Flick, who will be without him for key matches. His absence for Saturday against Villarreal and for the Copa del Rey semifinal on Tuesday against Atletico Madrid has already been confirmed, and his availability for the Champions League Round of 16 also appears highly doubtful.

Barcelona’s midfield situation

Injuries never come at a good time for players. However, a team can often cope if injuries are staggered rather than clustered. The good news for Barcelona may be seeing more minutes from a young midfield duo who could see the field soon.

Pedri may be the ideal player to step in if Frenkie is sidelined for a while. The Spanish midfielder, who missed about a month with an injury, returned last Sunday for roughly 30 minutes and could begin to get more minutes as he regains fitness.

The other player fans have missed is Gavi, who has been out for most of the season after an arthroscopy to repair a meniscus. He has rejoined partial training since last week and, even if he needs a few more matches to return to full strength, he would be a valuable addition when available.

Barcelona’s hard challenges ahead

The Champions League round of 16 may be the toughest immediate test, with the opponent being Chelsea or Newcastle. Locally, though, the obstacles are just as difficult and rotation to rest players may not be realistic.

Villarreal represent a genuine threat as the third-place team in La Liga. With only a one-point margin, a draw is not an acceptable result. The Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid is another steep challenge after the first-leg 4-0 defeat that Barcelona will need to erase next week.