Frenkie de Jong has hit back at suggestions that his commitment to Barcelona has wavered, days after the club confirmed the Dutch midfielder is carrying a knee ligament injury picked up at the World Cup.
"It's difficult for me to see people questioning my dedication to the club because of false reports," de Jong said, addressing chatter that had grown around his fitness and his future during the tournament, ONE reported.
Barcelona have confirmed a tear to the medial collateral ligament in de Jong's right knee. Scans taken after he reported back for pre-season medical checks showed the damage was more serious than first thought, with surgery not required at this stage in favour of a conservative recovery programme.
The 29-year-old had played through the injury for the Netherlands at the World Cup, wearing a protective brace after doctors initially assessed it as minor. It was only once he returned to Barcelona and underwent further testing that the full extent of the ligament damage emerged.
"My commitment to Barcelona and to my national team will never change," de Jong said, stressing that football "is everything" to him and that he has "always given everything" for both club and country.
Barcelona have not put an official number of weeks on his absence, though speculation reported by outlets including Goal.com and Barca Blaugranes has put the layoff at around four months - enough to rule him out of the start of the new La Liga season.
The club are not expected to move for a replacement midfielder in the meantime. Barcelona's hierarchy believes the squad already has cover in Pedri, Gavi, Fermín López, Dani Olmo and academy graduate Marc Bernal.
De Jong has been one of Barcelona's most important midfielders since arriving from Ajax in 2019, and the injury is a blow to a Dutch side that also leaned heavily on him through the 2026 World Cup. His absence leaves both club and country needing to adapt without a player they had built much of their midfield around.
