Barcelona's De Jong Suffers Torn Knee Ligament on World Cup Duty

Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong is facing a recovery period after suffering a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. The injury occurred while he was on national duty at the World Cup with the Netherlands.

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During the World Cup I injured my knee. After the first assessments, the (Dutch team) doctors told me it was a small injury and that it would not get worse if I continued playing.

De Jong reported that the severity of the injury only became apparent upon his return to Barcelona. Initial assessments by the Dutch national team's medical staff had indicated a minor issue, suggesting it would not worsen if he continued playing. De Jong mentioned he played through some pain during the tournament, a practice he has maintained throughout his career when able to contribute to his team.

However, more thorough medical examinations conducted by Barcelona's medical staff revealed the true extent of the damage. The club confirmed in a statement that De Jong has a tear of the MCL in his right knee and will continue with conservative treatment under their supervision. His progress will be closely monitored in the coming weeks.

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The only challenge was playing with some pain, but throughout my career I have done that whenever I could contribute to the team, both for my club and my country.

While the injury is more serious than initially diagnosed, Barcelona stated that surgery is not necessary at this stage. De Jong is now focused on his recovery and aims to return to the pitch as soon as possible. Barcelona is set to begin their La Liga title defense on August 23 against Elche.

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These showed that the injury was more serious than initially determined. Thankfully at this stage there is no need for surgery and I am now fully focused on my recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible.