Confirmed: Frenkie de Jong returns to Netherlands squad after recent comeback from injury

Confirmed: Frenkie de Jong returns to Netherlands squad after recent comeback from injury Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has earned his first call-up to the Netherlands national team under new manager Xavi Hernandez for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. The Oranje are scheduled to take on Greece on 13 November at home before taking on Germany in an away fixture on 16 November. And, De Jong has been recalled to the squad after missing the previous matches during the first international window due to an injury. The experienced midfielder suffered a knee injury while playing for the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and it has taken him more than four months to recover fully and make a comeback. The Dutchman made his first appearance of the season coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid in Barcelona’s 1-2 defeat in the Clasico . He then proceeded to start at centre-back in the win over Deportivo Alaves and featured again from the bench in the Champions League clash against Aston Villa. As such, De Jong has only played 118 minutes of football across three matches for Barcelona this season. But that has not stopped Xavi from calling him up to the national team squad for their upcoming matches. Naturally, there will be some element of concern at Barça, considering that their star midfielder returned with a serious injury from his last appearance with the national team.