Barcelona midfielder ‘not at his top level yet’, claims national team manager

Frenkie de Jong made his much-awaited comeback for FC Barcelona last month and has since gone on to feature seven times in all competitions.

Having gotten some minutes under his belt, the 27-year-old midfielder has been recalled to the Netherlands national team for the ongoing international break by manager Ronald Koeman.

The Barça star is back in the national team setup after many months, but his form heading into the Oranje’s matches against Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina has not been the very best.

Furthermore, there were concerns about his fitness after he suffered a blow in the last game against Real Sociedad, although it has been since confirmed that De Jong has no injury.

Koeman, speaking to the media earlier today (h/t de Stentor), addressed the Barcelona superstar’s return to the national team setup, stating that he expects the midfielder to be involved later this weekend.

“I spoke with Frenkie de Jong quite soon after last night, he will join the national team. We assume he will play on Saturday night,” said Koeman.

However, the former Barcelona boss went on to add that the midfielder was still some way off reaching his best level, saying:

“Frenkie is not at his top level yet.”

Koeman had previously been vocal about Barcelona’s handling of De Jong’s injury, criticising the club for rushing him back too early which eventually put him on the shelf for longer.

When asked about his past criticism of the Blaugrana and if he had any contacts with the club since, Koeman replied:

“No contact, no. But it’s my opinion because I knew how the situation really was. And eventually, it turned out to be true, because he wasn’t match-fit for 8 months. So I was right.”