27-year-old Barcelona star expected to carry even more weight after Marc Casado’s injury – Opinion | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are coming off one of their most incredible victories so far this season, beating Atletico Madrid in their own backyard in a comeback 4-2 win. It was one of those performances that underscored the mentality of the team under Hansi Flick.

The Catalans were trailing 2-0 to Diego Simeone’s side until the 70th minute of the game and looked to be heading towards their second loss against Atletico in La Liga this season. For the first time in months, the performance from Barcelona left a lot to be desired.

However, through sheer grit and determination, Barcelona found a way to turn things around, scoring 4 goals in the last quarter of the game. Robert Lewandowski kick-started the proceedings with a well-taken goal and a Ferran Torres brace sandwiched the Lamine Yamal winner on the night.

One player that Barcelona massively missed in the game against Atletico was Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who had a stomach bug and could not feature in any capacity. This meant that Hansi Flick had to play Marc Casado in the defensive midfield position and unfortunately, the La Masia graduate picked up an injury.

Casado, much like the rest of the team, did not have a great game and was taken off in the second half. Later, it emerged that he had injured his knee and torn his ligament after a tangle with Antoine Griezmann and it is expected that the Spanish international will be out for a couple of months, effectively ruling him out of the season.

This puts all the onus on Frenkie de Jong in the period remaining and the Dutchman will have to ensure that he is at his best level and manages to stay injury-free. The 27-year-old has been very good since the start of 2025 and he would be hoping to continue the same in the important phase of the campaign ahead.

Frenkie has slowly yet surely established himself as the first-choice defensive midfielder under Hansi Flick. He has formed an excellent partnership with Pedri on the pitch and the duo seem to understand each other’s positions without even looking at each other which bodes very well for the team.

What the 27-year-old offers which Casado slightly struggles with at this stage of his career, is creativity on the ball and a general security in possession. The youngster, on the other hand, excels defensively, an area where Frenkie might not be as strong but is continuously improving.

Physically more dominant than Casado, Frenkie also excels in aerial duels and this is one more facet of the game in which the Spaniard struggles. Against Atletico Madrid, this appeared to be a glaring flaw but one must understand that the ex-Barca Atletic captain is still growing in stature and developing.

Make no mistake—Casadó has performed exceedingly well in his first season, especially during a period when Barcelona were struggling with injuries. However, with him now set to be sidelined for a couple of months, the onus falls on Frenkie to step up and potentially elevate his game to an even more comprehensive level.

Of course, Hansi Flick still has the services of Eric Garcia to rely on, with the Spanish defender doing very well as a squad player thus far but he can only be used to close out games or deployed in scenarios where Barcelona are comfortable in the game and Frenkie needs some rest.

Amid all the contractual uncertainties and off-field noise, Frenkie de Jong’s importance to Barcelona has only grown following Marc Casadó’s injury. With the young Spaniard almost ruled out for the season, De Jong, already the undisputed starter under Hansi Flick, will have even more weight on his shoulders.

His consistency, creativity, and composure in midfield will be vital as the Catalans push for silverware. This is a prime opportunity for the 27-year-old to further solidify his status as a cornerstone of the team and potentially lead Barcelona to glory.