Frenkie de Jong is in contention to return for FC Barcelona, as the La Liga season commences at Valencia CF on Saturday. It appears De Jong, who is once again being strongly linked with Manchester United, is nearing full fitness, after having recovered from his ankle injury.
Meanwhile Ronald Araujo remains out until December, with a serious hamstring injury.
FC Barcelona at Valencia CF FYIs
La Liga Season Kickoff
Sat. Aug. 17, 9:30pm, Mestalla Stadion, Valencia, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Google Result Probability: Barca 56% Draw 24% Valencia CF 20%
FC Barcelona Team News
However, the encouraging message he posted to social media this week, will no doubt get the Blaugranes supporter base fired up. Araujo vowed to come back stronger and better than ever. Meanwhile Ansu Fati has a foot injury that does not have a clear time for return yet.
We’re awaiting more clarity on that. With Gavi, the situation is crystal clear- he’s still going to be out for awhile. That ACL injury, suffered while playing for Spain during an international break period, requires a long road to recovery.
That pretty much covers it for Hansi Flick’s side right now. Happy La Liga is back, everyone.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.