Frenkie de Jong injury news: Matches key Barcelona midfielder could miss after bitter blow is confirmed

Barcelona have revealed that Frenkie de Jong is facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury that he suffered during Thursday's training session.

De Jong had been expected to make his 32nd appearance of the 2025-26 campaign in Barcelona's La Liga contest with Villarreal on Saturday afternoon.

However, the La Liga champions have confirmed that a hamstring issue will keep the Netherlands international out of action for the next five to six weeks.

"First-team player Frenkie de Jong sustained an injury to the distal biceps of his right leg during this morning’s training session. Medical tests have confirmed that the expected recovery period will be approximately five to six weeks," read a statement from Barcelona.

De Jong facing six weeks out with a hamstring injury

De Jong has once again been an important player for Barcelona this season, scoring once and providing seven assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.

Six weeks would take De Jong to April 2, ruling him out of Barcelona's next four La Liga matches against Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano.

De Jong will also be missing for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week, in addition to both legs of his team's last-16 Champions League clash, with Barcelona set to take on either Newcastle United or Paris Saint-Germain.

Should Barcelona make it to the quarter-finals, De Jong should be available, with the first leg of the last-eight ties taking place on April 7 or April 8.

As it stands, De Jong is set to miss seven matches for Barcelona at a vital stage of the season, and his absence is a huge blow for the Catalan giants.

De Jong could miss Barcelona's next seven matches

Barcelona have been able to recover Pedri, though, with the Spaniard back after a month on the sidelines, while Gavi has also returned to full training and should be back in March, having recovered from the knee injury that he suffered last August.

Marc Bernal was outstanding in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Levante in the league last time out, and the 18-year-old could now keep his spot for Saturday's clash with Villarreal.

Eric Garcia is also capable of offering cover in the middle, although it is expected that Flick will use the Spaniard as a centre-back in the coming weeks.