De Jong warns of slow recovery after returning to international in 14 months

On Saturday, Frenkie de Jong started and played 68 minutes as the Netherlands defeated Hungary in the UEFA Nations League. It is the 27-year-old's first international appearance since September 2023, as three consecutive ankle injuries have prevented him from playing for the Dutch team so far.

De Jong spoke to the media after the match (via MD) to describe his feelings after such a long absence, and he admitted he doesn't expect to be back to 100% anytime soon.

“Normally, after an injury, I felt like I was back at my level quite quickly. That's different now, I have more sequels to this. It is still sensitive at certain times, but I also have to regain the confidence so that I can do certain things. That can only be achieved by playing games – hopefully the pain will go away on its own. I just have to play matches and train, then I hope to be fit and feel better. The form will return automatically.”

It is a positive sign that De Jong was able to start his third game in a row (after consecutive starts against Crvena Zvedza and Real Sociedad). He is going in the right direction, which Barcelona will certainly be very happy with.