De Jong lands Flick in trouble before the Atletico Madrid battle
The German coach reopens the midfield file
Rodri's injury throws Barcelona's midfield into flux for the next month. Hansi Flick must now reshuffle his cards to cover the absence of a player central to how the team plays.
With 945 minutes, Rodri has been Flick's most-used midfielder this season, ahead of Fermín and Pedri. Marc Bernal looks the natural candidate to fill the holding role in his absence, though Frenkie de Jong is also pushing to take on the responsibility.
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The Dutchman returned less than two weeks ago against Real Madrid after a three-month absence with a knee injury. The summer's disputes now appear settled. De Jong opted for conservative treatment, and Flick stripped him of the first captain's armband to hand it to Raphinha, naming Pedri as second captain. The coach still rates him highly, and the player wants his key role back.
Flick has yet to use him in the holding role, though. He played 82 minutes at centre-back against Alavés, and 36 minutes as an advanced midfielder against Real Madrid and Aston Villa, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport", which reckons the Dutchman "has landed his coach in a problem".
Victory over Aston Villa (3-0) took him to 300 appearances in a Barcelona shirt, and afterwards De Jong confirmed his readiness to return to the starting line-up. "Nothing bothers me, I feel fine and motivated to start the match against Atlético", he said.
The player's confidence doesn't quite match Flick's caution. The coach praised his qualities but flagged that he needs more time to regain full fitness.
"Frenkie is not 100% ready, but he is at a good level", the German said. "This is natural after an injury. Step by step, he is an excellent player".
That leaves Flick with two options to cover for Rodri. Lean on Bernal as the natural replacement in the holding role, or accelerate De Jong's return and reinstate him in the starting line-up before Sunday's big La Liga clash against Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano.
