Why is Frenkie de Jong not playing for Barcelona today against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinal?
De Jong and Robert Lewandowski are both absent as Barça look to mount a second-leg comeback against Atleti at Spotify Camp Nou.
Barcelona need the comeback of all comebacks to defeat Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals, following a 4-0 defeat in the first leg in the Spanish capital. They will hope to get off to a fast start in the return game at Spotify Camp Nou, but will be hampered by the absences of key duo Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski.
More on Lewandowski’s absence here.
Barça’s midfield plans take a hit
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick had been excited by the prospect of having Pedri and de Jong back together again in midfield. But just as the young Spaniard returned from a hamstring injury, the Dutchman suffered the exact same issue in training last week.
De Jong already missed Saturday’s victory over Villarreal and is expected to miss five to six weeks of action. That means he won’t take to the field in Tuesday’s cup semifinal second leg against Atlético Madrid and will also miss both legs of the Champions League round-of-16 clash against Newcastle (March 10 and March 18).
If the estimated timeframe proves correct, de Jong’s next appearance would come in the LaLiga game away to Atleti on April 5 at the earliest, the first club game after the next international break.
More key absences
In addition to de Jong and Lewandowski, Barcelona will also be without Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and the suspended Eric García as they look to achieve the (almost) impossible and overcome a four-goal deficit.
The winner of the Barça-Atleti semifinal will take on either Real Sociedad or Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey final, to be played at Sevilla’s Estadio La Cartuja on Saturday, April 18.
Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey a record 32 times and are the defending champions after a 3-2 extra-time win over Real Madrid in last year’s final.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.