Disaster for Barca! De Jong ruled out of PSG clash and El Clasico

Terrible news for Barcelona: Frenkie de Jong will miss the clashes with PSG and Real Madrid as his recovery drags on.

Details: According to Diario AS, the Dutch midfielder is still not physically ready and is not expected back before November 1. That rules him out of the Champions League meeting with PSG and El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 25. Just days ago there was optimism around his return, but Hansi Flick will not risk his captain until after the heavyweight showdowns.

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The setback is a hammer blow to Barca's plans. De Jong, who recently extended his contract until 2029, remains the metronome of Flick's midfield, and without him the Catalans must face two of their biggest games of the autumn with a patched up engine room. The club's medical team are determined not to repeat past mistakes with rushed comebacks, even if it means entering the season's defining weeks without their leader in the middle.

It's worth noting that November 1 is now circled in red on every Culé's calendar. If the new timeline holds, De Jong would return just in time for the decisive stretch of the Champions League league phase, but the games he will miss could define Barca's entire autumn.

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