Statement Barça: De Jong faces knee tear but avoids surgery

Statement Barça released that Dutch Oranje-international Frenkie de Jong will not need an operation after a knee tear diagnosed following his WK injury, confirming the club’s medical assessment in Catalonië and noting his own Instagram response. The announcement came after the 29‑year‑old returned to Barcelona’s training complex for checks.

Speculation had swirled on social media, and De Jong used Instagram to address the rumours, saying many thought he was not giving everything for the club. He insisted that belief was wrong and that he had always given his all for both club and country.

During the medical examination at Barcelona’s facilities, doctors identified a tear in the knee ligament that originated during the WK matches played in the Verenigde Staten, Canada and Mexico. The injury was therefore linked directly to his World Cup campaign.

Barcelona chose not to comment on the expected recovery period, limiting its official statement to the confirmation of the ligament tear and the reassurance that surgery is unnecessary.

De Jong’s later Instagram post explained that the first medical test allowed him to continue playing despite the pain, but subsequent tests revealed a more serious condition. He emphasized that, fortunately, no operation is required and that he will now focus on rehabilitation to return to the field as soon as possible.

A prolonged absence would represent a major setback for the midfielder, who missed two months last season with a muscle injury and was sidelined for the Euro 2024 in Germany because of a lingering ankle problem. That ankle issue kept him out for roughly half a year.

He described that ankle‑related period as the toughest of his career, yet he managed to recover in time for the WK, where the Netherlands were eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco. De Jong was substituted in extra time of that match.

The contrast between widespread speculation and the club’s clear medical findings highlights that, while doubts lingered, the definitive assessment provides reassurance that De Jong can aim for a swift comeback without the need for surgery.