Frenkie de Jong left the concentration of the Netherlands national team on Saturday due to a pain in the gluteus. Ronald Koeman confirmed his replacement during the match against Poland (he played 79 minutes) due to a muscle twinge that, finally, has caused him to miss the visit on Sunday against Lithuania.
Although the first tests carried out by the 'Orange' doctors do not detect anything serious, the midfielder will undergo more tests this Monday in Barcelona to rule out an injury. With this, there are four players in doubt for the team led by Hansi Flick for the match against Valencia next Sunday, September 14, as a local (9:00 p.m.).
Lamine Yamal is also doubtful with Spain and Barça
For the moment, the other unknown for Barça's return to action in LaLiga is Lamine Yamal. The winger left with discomfort in his back after the match against Bulgaria (0-3), where the Mataró native gave an assist in the first half.
Lamine did not train with the group on Friday, but Luis de la Fuente is confident of having him available this Sunday against Turkey. However, if the lower back pain persists, the ideal would be for the '19' not to see minutes in the match scheduled for 8:45 p.m. in Konya.
Yamal's start to the season has been spectacular with Barça, adding a pair of goals and assists in the first three matchdays of La Liga. Frenkie de Jong, for his part, was a starter against Mallorca and Rayo, while against Levante he was absent due to permission (paternity).
In that sense, these would be two very sensitive absences for a Barcelona that, against Valencia, will probably also have two other forced absences due to injury: Alejandro Balde and Gavi.
Balde and Gavi, almost ruled out for the Barça-Valencia match
The left-back, although he did not travel with Spain for the matches against Bulgaria and Turkey, suffered an injury to the left femoral biceps during a training session at the Ciutat Esportiva.
In principle, the '3' will be out of action for at least two or three weeks, which means that Gerard Martín is emerging as a starter against Valencia and Newcastle, the latter being the debut match in the Champions League group stage.
Gavi, for his part, was left out of the match against Rayo and the FIFA date with Spain due to discomfort in his right knee. Although Barça has not yet confirmed a specific injury, it is very likely that the '6' will also not be available next Sunday in the fourth matchday of La Liga.
And, since it is the knee operated on in 2023, the club will not take any risks with the Andalusian, who was already out for almost a year due to a cruciate ligament rupture with meniscus involvement. However, unlike Balde, the midfielder is not yet ruled out for either of the next two Azulgrana commitments.
FC Barcelona players in doubt against Valencia
| Player | Physical problem |
|---|---|
| Lamine Yamal | Lower back pain |
| Frenkie de Jong | Twinge in the gluteus |
| Alejandro Balde | Injury to the left femoral biceps (ruled out) |
| Gavi | Pain in the right knee |
| Marc-André ter Stegen | Back operation (ruled out) |