Barcelona midfielder edges closer to a return as preparations underway for Galatasaray

Barcelona midfielder edges closer to a return as preparations underway for Galatasaray FC Barcelona have already turned their attention to their next fixture after beating Getafe 3-0, with a demanding schedule leaving little time to celebrate the victory. The Catalan side will travel to Turkey on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Galatasaray as part of Matchday two of the league phase. According to Mundo Deportivo , to prepare for the challenging European away fixture, Hansi Flick led a special training session on Sunday morning. The players who started against Getafe completed recovery work, while the substitutes took part in a more intensive on-pitch session. De Jong moves closer to a return Frenkie de Jong was among those involved in the more active training group, providing another encouraging sign in his recovery. The Dutch midfielder continues to make progress towards full fitness after having been sidelined since the summer following a knee injury sustained during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Getting closer to a return. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Flick has already indicated that he hopes to include De Jong in the squad for Barcelona’s match against Real Betis on Saturday 17 October, suggesting that the midfielder is approaching the final stage of his recovery. His participation in Sunday’s session represents another step forward as Barcelona carefully manage his return to competitive action. As things stand, though, he is not expected to travel with the squad to Istanbul, but a return could be possible later next week when Barcelona face Real Betis in La Liga. Flick receives September’s La Liga Coach of the Month award There was also a special moment at the Ciutat Esportiva on Sunday morning, as Flick received the award recognising him as La Liga’s Coach of the Month for September. The German coach was accompanied by his entire coaching staff as he collected the accolade, which reflects the Blaugrana’s impressive performances during the month. The Catalans have enjoyed a spectacular start to the season , winning each of their eight La Liga games, and the one match they have played in the Champions League. With Galatasaray next on the schedule, Flick will now focus on preparing his squad for a difficult European test while continuing to monitor De Jong’s progress.