Barcelona heavyweight could get his first minutes of the season against Alaves

Barcelona heavyweight could get his first minutes of the season against Alaves Frenkie de Jong took a big step forward on his road to recovery after joining FC Barcelona’s team training earlier this week. Having been out of action since the summer, following a serious knee injury sustained at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Dutchman has finally resumed working with the rest of the group. However, a return to in-game action seems to be still some way away for the 29-year-old Netherlands international. De Jong to return in late October? Indeed, according to the Barça Reservat podcast on Catalunya Radio , De Jong’s likely return to the matchday squad will have to wait until the last week of October. While Barcelona face Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season on 25 October, the report highlights that the Dutchman might receive his first minutes of the season against Deportivo Alaves on 31 December. Closing in on a return. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Having opted not to undergo surgery and stick to conservative treatment, De Jong had started working individually on the grass for a few weeks now. This week saw him resume doing parts of the group training with his teammates and gradually, he will increase the intensity before working at the same level as the rest of the squad. And, if there are no hiccups or setbacks, everything points to him returning to action towards the end of October, as Barça do not wish to take any risks by rushing him back. Why Barcelona advised surgery Following the confirmation of his injury, there were several reports of conflicts between the player and the club over the course of treatment. While Barcelona insisted on De Jong undergoing surgery , the midfielder stuck firm on conservative treatment and followed through on it, with recovery progressing well. But the report also outlined why the club were so insistent on him having the operation. Barcelona wanted De Jong to undergo surgery. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) De Jong started treatment for the injury several days late, as he went on vacation with his family immediately after the World Cup instead of returning directly to Barcelona, which did not please the club. As such, he missed the first days when the knee should have been immobilised. But in this type of injury, if the knee is immobilised immediately, the ligament can heal naturally without the need for surgery. With De Jong spending around 12 days without immobilizing the knee, it could have made natural recovery suboptimal and increase the risk of relapse, which is why surgery was advised. Nevertheless, the recovery has progressed well and the midfielder could make his comeback later this month.