29-year-old superstar threatens to disrupt Barcelona’s midfield hierarchy as club tensions come to light – report

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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Barca Universal ↗

Frenkie de Jong's return to the Barcelona lineup after a long injury layoff is expected to shake up the team's midfield hierarchy, according to Barca Universal. De Jong has been regaining his rhythm and is likely to play in his preferred midfield position soon. He has already shown promising performances in his recent appearances, playing in midfield against Real Madrid and as a centre-back against Alaves. His quality is expected to increase competition among Barcelona's midfielders.

The Barcelona board was reportedly unhappy with De Jong's handling of his injury during the 2026 World Cup, which could affect his standing within the club. Despite this, De Jong has recovered and is now one of the team's captains, having gradually started getting minutes after his injury layoff. His willingness to play as a centre-back has also opened up another option for him to get playing time.

Barcelona's midfield already has several talented players, including Pedri, Rodri, Gavi, Marc Bernal, and Fermin Lopez. De Jong's return is expected to make the competition fiercer, potentially pushing players like Bernal and Gavi down the pecking order. Hansi Flick will need to manage the distribution of minutes among his midfielders to keep everyone happy, with a possible strong midfield combination being Pedri, Rodri, and De Jong.