This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
On July 23, 2019, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong was involved in a friendly match against Chelsea in Saitama, Japan.
Fast forward to 2020, and de Jong has now suffered a calf injury, forcing him to miss Barcelona's next match against Athletic Bilbao. The club announced the injury in a statement on Sunday, citing a medical report that revealed the extent of the injury.
De Jong had already missed Barcelona's 0-0 draw against Sevilla on Friday, with coach Quique Setien opting to leave him out as a precaution. However, the injury proved worse than feared, and de Jong is now expected to be sidelined for an extended period.
Barcelona currently lead Real Madrid by three points in the Spanish league standings, but have played one game more than their rivals. The team's next match is against Celta Vigo, followed by a crunch game against third-placed Atletico Madrid.
De Jong joined Barcelona from Ajax Amsterdam last year for 75 million euros ($83.81 million) and has appeared in 27 of their 30 league games this season.
