National team manager will exercise caution with Barcelona midfielder after injury return

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is back in the Netherlands’ setup after a long time, having recovered from his ankle injury that kept him out for more than five months.

The 27-year-old last played for the Oranje way back in September 2023 and is all set to feature for them tomorrow when they take on Hungary in the UEFA Nations League.

However, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, who already admitted that De Jong is still not back at his best level, is not entirely convinced about the Barça star’s level of play and fitness either.

Indeed, in the press conference earlier today, the Dutch tactician expressed doubts about De Jong’s ability to play the full 90 minutes of the game and as such will proceed with caution when it comes to using him.

“I don’t even know if he can play ninety minutes in a game,” said Koeman, as quoted by SPORT.

Koeman did comment that he is aware of De Jong’s fitness and the player had travelled after talking to Barcelona manager Hansi Flick about his progress in recent days.

“Frenkie has discussed his situation with his coach, Hansi Flick, in Barcelona. And I have spoken to Frenkie,” said the former Barça head coach.

While his match-sharpness might not be at its peak as of yet, Koeman has no doubts about the quality that De Jong offers, as he said:

“Frenkie can make a difference with the way he plays because he is a complete midfielder, but it remains to be seen how long it will take for him to get back to his best. We’ll play Hungary first and then we’ll see.”