Veteran Barcelona midfielder set for partial return to team training today
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Barcelona have received a timely boost ahead of their return to La Liga, with Frenkie de Jong set to take part in part of Monday’s team training session as Hansi Flick begins preparations for Saturday’s meeting with Getafe.
According to Mundo Deportivo, De Jong is returning to the training pitch after nine days of rest during the international break.
The midfielder has been following conservative treatment for the right-knee problem he suffered at the last World Cup, and his gradual reintegration will now be closely monitored by Barcelona’s medical and coaching staff.
His return comes at an important point in the season, with Flick facing a demanding October schedule.
De Jong begins gradual Barcelona return
Flick will resume work at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Monday, with De Jong joining the group for part of the session alongside the players who remained in Barcelona during the international break.
Frenkie de Jong will start trianing today. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
On that note, Alejandro Balde, Brian Farinas, Gavi, Wojciech Szczesny, Gerard Martin and Gabriel Jesus are also available to the Barcelona coach, giving him a relatively small group to work with before the internationals return.
Notably, De Jong’s participation does not mean he is immediately ready for a full workload, as Barcelona are taking a cautious approach after his knee problem, making his progress over the coming days particularly important.
Barcelona gradually welcome their internationals back
The squad will grow during the week. Joan Garcia, who missed Spain duty after the knee knock he suffered against Racing Santander, is expected back with the group, while Karim Adeyemi has also returned after Germany released him following his involvement in their first two matches.
Eric Garcia and Raphinha are also expected to rejoin the squad after returning early from international duty because of minor physical issues.
Flick, however, will have to wait until Thursday to finally have his entire squad together, including the players who were called up by their respective national teams.
Flick has only two sessions to prepare for Getafe
De Jong is yet to make an appearance for Barcelona this season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
That leaves Barcelona with very little time to prepare collectively for Saturday’s fixture at Camp Nou.
Once the full squad returns on Thursday, Flick will have only two training sessions before Getafe arrive.
As such, Barcelona have six matches to play across 20 days in October, meaning Flick needs his key players available without taking unnecessary risks.
For De Jong, Monday’s partial involvement is indeed an encouraging first step, but the bigger question will be whether he can increase his workload sufficiently to become part of Flick’s plans for Getafe.