Frenkie de Jong is no longer untouchable at Barcelona
The Dutchman was left on the bench against Athletic on Thursday
For Thursday's Copa del Rey defeat to Athletic Club, Xavi Hernandez's XI has one notable absentee: Frenkie de Jong. That it was seen coming does not take importance away from the issue.
The Dutchman is no longer untouchable for Xavi. This season he's not made the difference and doubts have surfaced. The level of Gavi and Nico and the return from injury have Pedri, plus the presence of Sergio Busquets, are all factors against him.
De Jong, 24, has been a regular since joining from Ajax for €70 million almost three years ago but is experiencing the most difficult period of his career at Camp Nou.
The midfielder will hope to win his place back in the team against Alaves this weekend and prove that he does have a place at the Catalan club moving forward.
Topics with the letter
