Dutch midfielder Frenkie De Jong has revealed that he has struggled to reach optimum levels as he still feels pain while playing.
De Jong has struggled at Barcelona for the past two seasons. The former Ajax man quickly became a starter at the club upon his €86 million transfer in 2019. However, he has struggled to stay fit since last season.
De Jong was limited to just 30 appearances across all competitions last season due to a persistent ankle injury. And he had to undergo a surgery that kept him out of action from March till October.
The 27-year-old has returned to action for Barcelona, registering seven appearances across all competitions. However, he has not been operating at his usually high level.
De Jong got his first La Liga start of the season against Real Sociedad just before the international break, but his performance was largely underwhelming. Nonetheless, he went on to produce an impressive performance for Netherlands when they faced Hungary in the UEFA Nations League.
Speaking on his recent performances for Barcelona, De Jong admits that he has not been a great as usual, and that is because he has had to play through pain in recent weeks.
“I still have pain while playing. I need to gain back my confidence in doing certain things on the pitch. I am not saying it’s a risk, but the feeling is still not as it was. It should improve from now onwards,” De Jong said, per Barca Times.
De Jong will be looking to return to his best and help Barcelona in the coming weeks. The Blaugrana have had a good start to the campaign, and they would need him to be firing on all cylinders if they want to win silverware.
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