Xavi expects Frenkie de Jong back in training after break

Xavi Hernández has expressed hope that Frenkie de Jong will return to training with Barcelona following the international break, though he declined to specify a date for his return to competitive matches. The Netherlands coach spoke on the eve of his first game in charge, at home to Germany in the Nations League.

«I was talking with him, we have a very good relationship. He’s happy with how the recovery is going and has very good feelings about it. We’ll see, we’ll see, I think the key moment will be after this break, precisely to see if he rejoins the group and can feel good about returning to play at one hundred percent,».

De Jong tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee at the World Cup. He played every game through the Netherlands' round-of-32 exit to Morocco before the diagnosis came, and Barcelona chose conservative treatment over surgery, with a recovery window of four to six months. Mundo Deportivo reported on 6 September that he hoped to rejoin the group on 8 October, when the internationals return to Barcelona, provided the ligament gave him no more trouble.

He was one of five Dutch absentees. Donyell Malen, Mats Wieffer, Justin Kluivert and Matthijs de Ligt are also injured. Germany are without Leon Goretzka, who has a knee problem.

If De Jong does join the group on 8 October, Barcelona would get their captain back in training, with a first appearance of the season still to come. If the knee holds up, that timetable may not be far off.