‘Completely behind me’ – Barcelona captain gives positive fitness update while on international duty | OneFootball

After having quite a difficult start to the season, things have been improving for the FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong lately.

The Dutchman had to spend a considerable early part of the season on the sidelines as he was still recovering from the ankle injury he suffered at the end of the last season. But even after recovering, he was unable to play at his best level for some months, and it was only after the start of 2025 that he became a regular starter for Hansi Flick.

His improved form has also led to his return to the Dutch national team, with whom he is currently training ahead of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie against Spain.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Barcelona midfielder addressed a press conference ahead of this crucial game and took this opportunity to provide an update about his fitness.

The midfielder was clear that he has now completely overcome his ankle injury: “The ankle injury? It’s something completely behind me. I feel good again. I don’t think about it anymore when I’m on the pitch, so that’s it.”

The Dutchman went on to highlight the mental aspects of such a serious injury:

“Yes, it was definitely a burden. It took a long time, and when it takes so long and you don’t know exactly when it will end, a kind of doubt arises. Sometimes it was difficult to deal with the ankle. But now, as I said, I don’t think about it when I play.”

The Barcelona midfielder also revealed that he was never worried about his position as a starter, and earlier, his main concern was recovering well from his injury:

“It’s always good to play again, but I wasn’t worried about it, let’s put it that way. I just had to make sure my ankle was completely healed, and since it was fine, I had to prove that I was worthy of playing. This is something I can control, so I didn’t worry too much about it.”

It is good to know from De Jong’s own mouth that he has completely recovered from the injury that he suffered from for such a long time. Hopefully, he will be able to play at the level that he showed in the last few years, both for the Dutch national team and Barcelona.