Sport
De Jong: I Thought I Would Never Recover from My Ankle Injury
Frenkie de Jong, the Dutch national football team midfielder, doubted he would ever recover from his troublesome ankle injury, but he is happy to resume his international career after being absent from the national team for over a year.
De Jong is likely to get some playing time when the Netherlands hosts Hungary in the UEFA Nations League next Saturday in Amsterdam, in the penultimate group-stage match. He returned to Barcelona’s squad last month after nearly six months of absence.
De Jong told reporters on Wednesday: “Did I wonder if I would fully recover? The thought crossed my mind at times, but I was always confident that eventually, I would be able to play football again.”
He added: “There was doubt about how long I would be out and whether my ankle would return to its previous state.”
The 27-year-old player said the hardest part was missing this year’s European Championship in Germany, where his team reached the semifinals.
He said: “It was very tough. I watched all the team’s matches, but I didn’t watch many other games.”
De Jong last played for the national team in September 2023 against Ireland.
He was substituted in Barcelona’s loss to Real Sociedad last Sunday in La Liga after starting the match, but fears about his absence from the Dutch squad faded when he arrived at the training camp on Tuesday.
De Jong said: “I received a blow to my calf muscle and then another blow, but it had nothing to do with my knee or ankle. I knew it wasn’t a serious injury, but it bothered me a lot.”
