New injury. Barcelona star leaves national team camp early and returns to the club
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has left the Netherlands squad early due to fitness problems. After the match against Greece, he returned to the Catalan club, where he will continue his recovery.
Before the game against Greece, the midfielder told Netherlands head coach Xavi that he was experiencing back discomfort, but still took to the field. He was substituted at half-time, and after the match the coach initially expressed hope that the injury would not prevent him from playing in the next game. It was later confirmed that De Jong would not travel to Germany with the team.
For the 29-year-old midfielder, this is another setback after an extended recovery period. He injured knee ligaments at the World Cup in the summer and was sidelined for around five months. He returned to action for Barcelona only on October 25, making his first appearance since late May.
De Jong will now definitely miss the Netherlands' final group-stage match in the Nations League. On November 16, Xavi's team will face Germany away from home.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
