The midfielder was part of a small group of players who did not train this week under the orders of Hanski Flick. Raphinha, Marc Bernal, and Andreas Christensen will be other absences.

The visitors, meanwhile, will also have absences. Pablo Barrios suffered a muscle injury, as did Jan Oblak, and they will not take part. Veteran defender Jose Maria Gimenez is also injured and will miss the first match of this tie.

Barcelona’s widespread dominance

Historically, FC Barcelona have dominated the rivalry against Atletico Madrid, securing 115 victories compared to the Colchoneros’ 78 wins, with 57 draws across all competitions. The most recent meeting between these two teams in a competition was the dramatic Copa del Rey tie, where Simeone’s side ended up winning the series 4–3.

On April 4, in a new LaLiga matchday, Barcelona defeated Atletico 2–1 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. Marcus Rashford, Robert Lewandowski, and Giuliano Simeone were the goalscorers.

Hansi Flick’s starting XI

With the notable absence of Frenkie de Jong in midfield, these were the players selected by Flick for the first leg of the 2026 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals:

Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford; Robert Lewandowski.

“Next week, Frenkie will be able to start training with the group. But step by step. We must wait,” manager Hansi Flick stated during his pre-match press conference, confirming the Dutchman is not yet match-ready.

This marks the eighth consecutive game de Jong has missed. Despite his absence, Barca have remained in elite form, recording seven wins and one draw (a 1-1 result against Newcastle in the Champions League). In his stead, young talent Marc Bernal has stepped up effectively alongside Pedri.

Flick prioritizes long-term fitness for grueling April schedule

One of the primary reasons for prioritizing a full recovery for Frenkie de Jong is the congested fixture list Barcelona face in the coming days. Just four days from now, on April 8, Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid again at the Camp Nou for the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals.

Following that, the return leg will take place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on April 14, with a high-stakes Barcelona Derby against Espanyol scheduled at the Spotify Camp Nou on April 11 sandwiched in between.

Reinforcements return for Barcelona

While de Jong remains out, Hansi Flick received a significant boost with the return of several key defenders. “The positive news is that we have recovered Kounde, Balde, and Eric [Garcia],” Flick noted, solidifying a backline that will be under immense pressure tonight.

With this information in mind, Hansi Flick is expected to field the following probable lineup to face Atletico Madrid: Joan Garcia; Joao Cancelo, Gerard Martin, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia; Pedri, Marc Bernal, Fermin Lopez; Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres.

The Dutch midfielder remains sidelined with a significant hamstring tear in his right distal biceps femoris, an injury that has disrupted Hansi Flick’s tactical spine at a critical juncture of the season.

With De Jong officially ruled out, Flick must now pivot to find a creative solution in the double pivot, as the playmaker is not expected to return to the squad until after the upcoming international break.

The injury crisis extends to the Blaugrana backline, where Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde are both unavailable due to thigh injuries sustained in early March.

The Magpies are also without the defensive stability of Fabian Schar and the midfield presence of Bruno Guimaraes, both of whom remain out with long-term knocks.

Winner eyes potential Madrid clash

The stakes extend beyond tonight’s result, as the winner of the Barcelona-Newcastle tie is slated to face either Atletico Madrid or Tottenham in the Champions League quarterfinals.

A resilient Newcastle side—buoyed by the return of Anthony Gordon—look to pull off a historic upset and eliminate one of the tournament’s betting favorites on their home turf.

Official Barcelona lineup vs. Newcastle

In the absence of De Jong, the burden of creativity falls squarely on the shoulders of Pedri and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Gavi also returns to the matchday squad to provide a much-needed emotional and defensive lift for Flick’s depleted rotation.

FC Barcelona Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia

Defenders: Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Joao Cancelo

Midfielders: Marc Bernal, Pedri, Fermin Lopez

Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski

The Dutch midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in his right leg during a training session with Barcelona in late February 2026. Medical tests confirmed damage to the outer lower hamstring (distal biceps femoris).

With Barca beginning a crucial knockout tie in the Champions League, his absence is a huge blow for Hansi Flick’s men as they aim to come back home with a positive result ahead of the second leg in Spain. Follow our liveblog of Newcastle vs Barcelona and don’t miss a single thing!

When will Frenkie de Jong play again?

Frenkie de Jong could return to action in late March or early April if his recovery goes as planned. The Barcelona midfielder is expected to miss around five to six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in late February.

According to ESPN and Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman, his estimated return date is around late March, although the exact timing will depend on how well he progresses through rehabilitation and training.

Because it occurred shortly before the Champions League knockout stage, the Dutch international is also expected to miss multiple domestic matches and potentially the upcoming international window with the Netherlands.

The club’s medical staff will likely avoid rushing his comeback to prevent aggravating the injury. When he returns, he is expected to reclaim a central role in Barcelona’s midfield.

What happened to Frenkie de Jong?

De Jong’s injury occurred during a routine training session ahead of a busy stretch of fixtures. After further evaluation, the medical team confirmed that the midfielder would need several weeks of recovery and rehabilitation.

His absence is significant because he often acts as the team’s primary ball-progressor and tempo controller in midfield. Without him, the coaching staff has had to rely on alternatives such as Pedri, Fermin Lopez or younger midfielders.

Lewandowski has been ruled out of the semifinal clash after sustaining a fractured left eye socket during Barcelona’s recent 4-1 LaLiga victory over Villarreal. In an official statement on X, the club confirmed the injury.

“First-team player Robert Lewandowski picked up an injury in the recent game against Villarreal. Tests have diagnosed a fracture of the left eye socket. He will miss the game against Atletico Madrid,” Barcelona stated.

Meanwhile, the Dutch international Frenkie de Jong is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a distal biceps injury in his right leg during a training session.

“The medical tests have confirmed that the expected recovery period will be approximately five to six weeks,” the Spanish giants reported, effectively ruling the midfielder out for over a month of action.

Hansi Flick navigates growing injury list

Beyond Lewandowski and de Jong, manager Hansi Flick continues to navigate a depleted roster. Long-term absentees Gavi and Andreas Christensen remain in recovery and are unavailable for selection. Furthermore, defender Eric Garcia is suspended for the second leg following his straight red card at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

However, it is not entirely bleak for the Catalan giants. Flick will be able to lean on Pedri and Marcus Rashford, both of whom have successfully returned from recent injuries and featured in the win over Villarreal.

Their availability provides a much-needed offensive boost as Barcelona look to pull off a historic European-style “Remontada” on home soil, like they did to PSG during the Round of 16 of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League.

The Dutch midfielder is unavailable for tonight’s clash as he serves a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. De Jong picked up his third booking of the competition during last week’s 4-2 victory over Slavia Prague, triggering an automatic ban for the Matchday 8 finale.

His absence creates a significant void in Hansi Flick’s midfield, especially with fellow star Pedri also sidelined due to a hamstring injury. With both pillars of the center park missing, Barcelona must reshuffle their lineup to secure the victory needed for direct qualification to the Round of 16.

Barcelona predicted lineup

With Pedri, de Jong, Gavi, and Andreas Christensen all unavailable, Flick faces a tactical puzzle. Eric Garcia and Marc Casado are expected to anchor the midfield, while Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez provide the attacking spark.

Projected lineup to face Copenhagen: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Marc Casado, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski.

Copenhagen predicted lineup

Copenhagen enter the match in a desperate must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive. Manager Jacob Neestrup will also be missing key leadership as Thomas Delaney serves a red-card suspension.

Projected lineup to face Barcelona: Dominik Kotarski; Birger Meling, Gabriel Pereira, Junnosuke Suzuki, Marcos Lopez; Mohamed Elyounoussi, Lukas Lerager, Emil Madsen, Elias Achouri; Viktor Dadason, Andreas Cornelius.

Among the key figures in this high-tension moment was Dani Carvajal from Real Madrid, alongside Yamal. The atmosphere was already charged following remarks from the Barcelona star, which De Jong insisted were taken out of context, further fueling the on-field drama.

“If Carvajal wanted to speak to Lamine, he should have called or texted him. They’re teammates and know each other well. Why make a scene on the pitch?“ De Jong questioned, addressing the media after a narrowly lost encounter marked by late-game incidents involving both players.

As the tension unfolded on the field, teammates were compelled to intervene, separating Carvajal and others involved. Thibaut Courtois also found himself embroiled in the mix with Yamal, leading to a broader altercation just outside the entrance to the locker rooms.

Pre-game tensions spill over

Before this crucial clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona, players like Yamal and Courtois stirred the pot with comments on the contentious issue of perceived referee favoritism in Spain.

Courtois, responding to Yamal‘s pre-match remarks, suggested that Barcelona is often at the center of refereeing controversies, which may have incited the reactions from Real Madrid’s supporters during the match.

Additional drama unfolds in El Clasico

Apart from the on-field fracas, Vinicius Jr. emerged as a pivotal figure, visibly frustrated over the course of the game. Additionally, Kylian Mbappe netted his 12th goal, continuing to etch his name into Real Madrid’s storied history in his second season with the club.

This scenario underscores the intensity of El Clasico, where heated exchanges and controversial calls are part and parcel of a matchup enriched with exceptional soccer talent.

“I had never seen such a big difference between one player and the rest. Whatever we did in training, Messi was always the best…He sees solutions on the field that you, as a coach, can’t think of beforehand,” stated Frenkie. It is normal that the difference between Messi and the other teammates is immense because the Argentine is one of the best players in the history of soccer, winner of 8 Ballon d’Or, a FIFA World Cup, Copa America, Champions League, LaLiga, among other trophies that made him the player with the most trophies in the history of soccer.

Frenkie de Jong and Lionel Messi shared a team for two seasons: in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, as Messi left for PSG in the 2021/22 season. During those years, Frenkie de Jong managed to win only one Copa Del Rey while sharing a team with Lionel Messi. This lack of ambition on the part of FC Barcelona has led the Netherlands player to have doubts about his continuity in the team.

“People think I want to stay in Barcelona forever because life outside soccer is good here. It is good, but that is less important than what happens on the pitch. If I feel I can’t contribute enough, or if the team can’t compete, I would leave…I have to admit that when I signed for Barcelona I didn’t imagine winning just one league, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa after four years. I expected at least double that, so that disappoints me,” stated de Jong to Voetbal International.

The relationship between the player and FC Barcelona has not been very fruitful, as Frenkie arrived at the club in the midst of turbulence and a scandal with the previous board, which today is accused of fraud and mismanagement of the club’s money that caused the club’s squad to be weakened financially and in terms of players. Right now, the club is much more stable, but Pablo Gaviria “Gavi” and Pedro Gonzalez “Pedri” seem to have taken away the team’s starting position, so Frenkie would be a rotation player with a multi-million dollar salary.

Kevin-Prince Boateng had already praised Lionel Messi for his exceptional level in training

Kevin-Prince Boateng was Lionel Messi’s teammate the 2018/19 season arrived on loan from Italian club Sassuolo to reinforce the team as a substitute striker for Luis Suarez. Boateng went on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel where he confessed that Lionel Messi did not fail in training. “We used to kick from outside the box after practice. Brother… out of 100, 98 were goals. I’m telling you, it’s not normal. To the top corner, bang, against (Marc André) Ter Stegen. I said to him in German ‘come on man, what’s going on’, he said ‘I can’t’. It’s the perfect tempo, right into the corner hit the post…The two or three shots he missed, the goalkeeper made an incredible save, not that he missed the target. He never missed. It’s unbelievable. It’s not normal.”

Frenkie de Jong has faced criticism over false rumors about his image

Multiple rumors about his salary and constant injuries have strongly affected Frenkie’s image in Barcelona, as rumors indicated that the player was paid a salary of 37 million, which the player himself denied: “They say ‘this one is earning a lot of money, he says he doesn’t want to have surgery (ankle injury suffered in April 2024 that kept him out of the field for 162 days)… that he’s taking a vacation, that he’s not training,’ but the reality is different. It hasn’t been like that…There were figures like 37 million (about his salary) or something like that and the reality is very, very far from that,” stated Frenkie to the Spaniard media, Mundo Deportivo.

Hansi Flick has commented on several occasions that he is counting on the player because he likes his characteristics. However, his contract expires in 2026 and, according to Adrian Sanchez of Spanish newspaper MasQuePelotas, FC Barcelona has grown tired of waiting for the player to accept a renewal offer and he could be sold in January or July. Everything indicates that the relationship between Frenkie De Jong and FC Barcelona is broken and he could soon leave the club.

The absence of Frenkie de Jong, a former Ajax standout, is a significant blow not only for the Netherlands but also for the overall quality of UEFA Euro 2024. De Jong is one of several world-class players missing from the tournament this year.

Despite this setback, head coach Ronald Koeman has assembled a competitive team that successfully advanced through the group stage and defeated both Romania and Turkey in the knockout rounds. Now, they face England with a spot in the final on the line.

Frenkie de Jong out of the semifinal match against England

Frenkie de Jong’s absence from the semifinal match against England is due to an ankle injury he sustained during a Spanish La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Despite his best efforts to recover in time for the tournament, de Jong was unable to regain full fitness. He expressed his disappointment on social media:

“I’m sad and disappointed not to make it to the Euros. We have been doing a lot of work in the last few weeks, but my ankle needs more time, unfortunately. It’s a dream and the greatest honor to represent our country at a finals, wearing the orange jersey, singing the Wilhelmus, and feeling the support of the whole country. But now, like all the Orange Legion, I will cheer the team on from the stands. Come on guys!”

As the Netherlands prepare for their high-stakes clash against England, they will need to rally in the absence of their midfield maestro and draw inspiration from their storied past to push for victory.

De Jong has established himself in recent years as one of the best midfielders on the planet. His talent, vision and ability to control the pace of the game have made him a fundamental piece for both FC Barcelona and his country’s national team.

Over time, De Jong has become a crucial part of Barcelona’s squad. Even though the club has faced challenges and is no longer at the peak of its previous success, De Jong continues to shine as a symbol of talent and consistency. Likewise, for the Dutch national team, he stands out as a fundamental player and a key figure.

Frenkie de Jong out of Euro 2024

Unfortunately, an ankle injury sustained in the recent “El Clasico” against Real Madrid two months ago has prevented Frenkie de Jong from recovering in time to play in Euro 2024.

De Jong’s absence is a major blow to the Netherlands’ Euro 2024 aspirations. The team loses one of its most important players and faces a demanding tournament without one of its footballing references.

Undoubtedly, Euro 2024 has been deprived of one of its great talents with the absence of Frenkie de Jong. The Netherlands will have to face the challenge of the Euro 2024 quarterfinals without their star and look for a way to make up for their absence to continue advancing in the tournament.

The absence of the former Ajax player is undoubtedly one of the most important losses for the Netherlands and also for UEFA Euro 2024, which is missing several world-class players.

Despite this setback, Ronald Koeman’s team successfully navigated a challenging group stage, advancing to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams. But many may wonder why de Jong isn’t on the field.

Frenkie de Jong out of the match against Romania

The reason why Frenkie de Jong will not be present in the round of 16 match against Romania is due to an ankle injury he suffered in a Spanish La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Although the Dutch midfielder did everything possible to recover in time to be part of the squad, he did not manage to do it and explained it in his social media accounts:

“I’m sad and disappointed not to make it to the Euros. We have been doing a lot of work in the last few weeks, but my ankle needs more time unfortunately. It’s a dream, and the greatest honor, to represent our country at a finals, wearing the orange jersey, singing the Wilhelmus and feeling the support of the whole country, but now, like all the orange legion, I will cheer the team on from the stands. Come on guys!”