Opponents of Newcastle United face potential difficulties as their captain experiences a muscle injury.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong Injury Casts Doubt over Champions League Tie against Newcastle United
In a blow to Barcelona, their key midfielder Frenkie de Jong has sustained an injury to his external obturator muscle in his right leg. The Dutch international played every minute of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, which went to extra time after the second leg in Italy.
The official statement regarding Frenkie de Jong's injury was issued by Barcelona, but the severity of the injury will determine his availability for the Champions League tie against Newcastle United, scheduled to take place under two weeks from the date of this news article.
Frenkie de Jong has been a mainstay in the Barcelona midfield, starting two of the team's three league matches this season. He has made 261 appearances for Barcelona since moving from AFC Ajax in 2019, and appeared in 13 of Barcelona's 14 Champions League fixtures last season, as well as 26 times in the league.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are also dealing with injuries, with midfielder Joelinton sustaining a hip injury. The north-east club have spent heavily to supplement manager Eddie Howe's squad this summer, signing Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw, and several other players.
Newcastle United returned to the Champions League after a one-year hiatus and faced Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan in the Champions League during the 2022-23 season. They will begin their Champions League campaign at home against LaLiga giants Barcelona on Thursday, September 18.
In a positive development for Barcelona, Marc-AndrΓ© ter Stegen has regained the captaincy after a recent disciplinary case was resolved. He is expected to lead the team in the Champions League match against Newcastle United on September 18, 2025.
However, the absence of Frenkie de Jong, who captained Barcelona during their Champions League semi-final defeat against Inter Milan last season, could be a significant loss for the Spanish club. The injury situation will be closely monitored in the lead-up to the match, with the hope that Frenkie de Jong will recover in time to face Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
Elsewhere, Alexander Isak, the Swedish international striker, has completed a transfer to Liverpool, and will not be playing against Newcastle United.
