Barcelona handed Frenkie de Jong boost head of Champions League clash against PSG

Barcelona could be handed a major boost for their upcoming Champions League quarterfinal against French champions Paris Saint-Germain as Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong’s recovery reports are positive. De Jong, signed in 2019 from Ajax has been an important part of the team over the last five seasons playing a crucial role in the team’s La Liga success in the 2022-23 season. De Jong suffered a lateral ligament sprain in his right ankle during his side’s goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga a fortnight ago.

Frenkie de Jong injury

The Barcelona man who has been plagued with injuries in the 2023-24 season has not seen much action. So far the 26-year-old has played in only 19 matches and missed crucial matches against Mallorca and Atletico Madrid. The latter was a convincing 3-0 win as Barcelona went second in the La Liga standings. Earlier in the season, a similar injury saw him miss seven matches in the season including a 2-1 home defeat against Real Madrid.

However, according to the latest reports De Jong is expected to be fit for the first leg of the Champions League tie against PSG at the Parc de Princess on Wednesday (April 10).

De Jong’s injury boost will come as a huge relief for Xavi Hernandez and his side as they still retain a remote chance of winning La Liga and could have a favourable draw in the semifinal of the Champions League. They will either face Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in the semifinal if they advance against PSG.

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Barcelona eye Champions League glory

The Champions League draw last week saw them avoid big clubs like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Arsenal. De Jong’s injury boost could be a blessing for them as they try to reach their first Champions League semifinal in the post-Lionel Messi era. The last time they reached the last four was in the 2019 season when Liverpool knocked them out.

The last time Barcelona were in the Champions League final was in the 2015 season when they beat Juventus in the final in Berlin. However, since then plenty of water has gone underneath the bridge and the majority of the core has left or retired from the game.

In La Liga, the Catalonian side are eight points off leaders Real Madrid and could trim the gap to five points if they beat them at the Santiago Bernabéu in April.

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