FC Barcelona will face off against Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday night, facing an uphill battle to keep their UEFA Champions League hopes alive.
The Blaugrana lost 0-2 to the Rojiblancos last week in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, leaving them at a major disadvantage.
A comeback, though, is very much possible, considering that Barça have beaten Atletico three times already this season.
Moreover, they will be boosted by the availability of key midfielder and one of the club captains, Frenkie de Jong, for the match.
Will De Jong start against Atletico Madrid?
Now, according to journalist Santi Ovalle on Cadena SER, Hansi Flick will speak with De Jong and the Barcelona medical staff to assess whether he is ready to start the match against Atletico Madrid.
De Jong had spent more than a month out on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The Dutchman finally made his comeback this past weekend in the derby win over RCD Espanyol.
Frenkie de Jong made his comeback vs Espanyol. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Coming on as a late substitute, the 28-year-old midfielder assisted the late goal scored by Lamine Yamal.
However, it is still not clear if he is ready to start a game, especially a high-intensity, high-stakes encounter such as Tuesday’s clash against Atletico Madrid.
As such, Flick will hold a conversation with De Jong as well as the medical staff to assess his condition before making a decision.
The key question is how many minutes he can handle, with Flick needing to determine whether he is capable of playing 45 or 60 minutes.
If he is medically fit, Flick believes De Jong should be in the starting lineup. The reason is clear: with De Jong and Pedri on the field, Barcelona have better chances of pulling off a comeback.
