Barcelona Captain De Jong Out for Month

The Netherlands international suffered the injury during Barcelona's training session ahead of their La Liga match against Villarreal. Initial tests suggest a possible muscle tear that could keep him sidelined for up to four weeks, potentially missing seven matches across all competitions.

De Jong will miss the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, the Champions Round of 16 tie, and several La Liga fixtures. His absence comes at a frustrating time for Barcelona as they had nearly a full squad available, forcing Flick to rely on alternatives like Marc Bernal, Marc Casado, or Eric García in midfield.