Barcelona Sweats Over Star Player's Injury Scare as De Jong's Champions League Status Hangs in Balance

Barcelona are keeping a close eye on Lamine Yamal as the Spanish winger continues his recovery from a groin injury sustained while on international duty, while Frenkie de Jong may be ready to feature when the Catalan club kicks off their Champions League journey on Thursday.

The Blaugrana returned to competitive action after the September international window without both Yamal and De Jong available for their unusual home fixture against Valencia. Hansi Flick's side crushed Valencia 6–0 that evening at the Estadi Johan Cruyff after securing special authorization from La Liga due to ongoing Camp Nou construction work and the unavailability of the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys.

Although neither player was sorely missed during that dominant display, their fitness status remains a worry early in the campaign as fixtures begin to pile up. Reports from MundoDeportivo indicate that Barcelona are still assessing Yamal, who was absent from Monday's training session.

However, De Jong appears closer to a comeback. The Dutch playmaker departed the Netherlands squad prematurely but has rejoined team training in preparation for Barcelona's Champions League debut against Newcastle United.

The Spanish giants have extra time to restore De Jong to full match sharpness since Barcelona are scheduled to play on Thursday. Similar to last season, the opening week of the group stage includes three distinct matchdays to showcase the tournament's launch. When competition resumes at September's end, fixtures will revert to the standard two-day format across Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Pedri and Marc Casadó formed the central midfield partnership against Valencia, with Fermín López assuming playmaking responsibilities in the final third. If De Jong remains unavailable to start, Flick may stick with the same pairing given both players delivered impressive displays.

In the forward line, Yamal's absence saw summer acquisition Roony Bardghji take his place on the right wing. He was withdrawn for Raphinha at the interval but could earn additional playing time should Yamal miss out on squad selection.

Flick expressed his frustration with Spain's handling of players during the international period: "They maintained at least a three-goal advantage in both fixtures, yet he still featured for 73 and 79 minutes. He couldn't even train between matches. That's not protecting the player. I'm deeply disappointed about this." Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, supported Flick's position on the matter.