According to AS, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong left training early due to injury. Initial examinations indicate he suffered a biceps femoris tear and is expected to be out for at least a month.

The report states that this is undoubtedly a heavy blow to head coach Hansi Flick. He had hoped to pair Frenkie de Jong with Pedri to rebuild the team’s midfield core, but this plan has been forced to be temporarily shelved. De Jong experienced significant pain in his hamstring during training on Thursday morning, and subsequent examinations confirmed a torn muscle.

Flick was visibly distressed upon learning the result, as he will be without a key midfielder in upcoming matches, including the Copa del Rey semi-final and the Champions League knockout stage. The good news is that Pedri is expected to play approximately 60 minutes in Saturday’s match against Villarreal.

With De Jong out, Flick may use Bernal, Casadó, or even Eric Garcia to partner Pedri in midfield. The match against Villarreal will be Barcelona’s first real test without De Jong.