De Jong fails to make hoped-for progress in recovery

La Liga champions Barcelona have early this week been forced to contend with some altogether concerning news on the personnel front, after confirmation emerged that Frenkie de Jong is not recovering at the speed previously hoped.

The midfielder was condemned to a fresh spell on the sidelines earlier this summer. After reporting back to the Catalan capital following the World Cup, the 29-year-old was revealed to have suffered a serious knee injury.

The parties, from here, opted for conservative treatment, in the hopes of de Jong's knee healing through hands-on work and specific workout routines. However, as of this moment, those treatments do not appear to be producing the desired results.

'Still felt pain, especially when stopping'

According to a report from Diario Sport, de Jong on Tuesday took to the grass for the first time in several months in order to test his knee. But the sensations were far from positive, as the Dutchman 'still felt pain, especially when stopping'.

As a result, the midfielder's return to competitive action is now considered as still some way off, delivering a worrying blow to Barcelona as they look to mount a title defence without one of their key engine-room operators.