Barcelona star ruled out for ‘over a MONTH’… as alarming numbers show Xavi cannot do without him

• The midfielder has become a lynchpin of the head coach’s title-winning side 
• Barca have enjoyed a strong start to their league defence and top LaLiga table 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Barcelona are preparing to go over a month without one of their key players and alarming numbers have shown they can ill-afford to go without him. 

Xavi Hernandez’s side have enjoyed a fast start to the season, and the LaLiga titleholders currently sit atop the table after six match days. 

Saturday’s tie against Celta Vigo saw them claw back a win from two goals down, after an efficient brace from Robert Lewandowski sparked a comeback capped by a late winner courtesy of Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo. 

But an injury to Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong will have cast a pall around the Blaugrana, as will news that the former Ajax player could be out for up to seven weeks. 

De Jong was replaced by wonderkid Gavi during the first half of the home tie, and the club has released a statement confirming an injury to the ‘tibiofibular syndesmosis in his right ankle’. 

Barcelona must go without one of their key players for over a month after he picked up injury

Frenkie de Jong was substituted in the first half against Celta Vigo and has been diagnosed with an ankle injury

The Blaugrana have won just six matches that De Jong has been unavailable for since 2019

Whilst there is no specific timeframe for his recovery, the player’s absence could spark concern for his head coach. 

As per Spanish outlet Sport, Barca have won just six of the matches that De Jong has been unavailable for selection for since his 2019 move to Ajax. 

The Dutchman has only missed 16 matches due to injury in total since his transfer across the four seasons he has spent in Catalonia, and without him, the side has registered seven draws and three defeats. 

Over the ties, Barcelona have also struggled for goals, scoring just 18 over the ties where he has been unavailable for selection, whilst conceding 13. 

The lion’s share of the wins without the 26-year-old came in his first season, when he was struggling to settle into the side, with four wins and three draws coming during his seven absences. 

De Jong was available for the entirety of the 2020/21 season, but in 2021/22, Barca won none of the three games he was unavailble for, drawing two and losing one. 

During the club’s title-winning season last term, he missed seven games in october and April, with the team frustrated during the period to see out two wins, two draws and two defeats. 

The midfielder has started every match during the Blaugrana’s campaign this season, scoring a crucial goal during the team’s 4-3 showdown with Villarreal at the end of August.    

Despite a tumultuous start to his time at the Camp Nou – which saw him frequently linked to a move away from his ‘dream club’ to join Manchester United – De Jong has settled under Xavi and become a stalwart in the club legend’s side. 

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Head coach Xavi Hernandez described his midfielder’s injury as a ‘big loss’ to the titleholders

The head coach had an understandably pessimistic response to his injury on Saturday, calling De Jong ‘a key player’. 

‘It’s a big loss,’ he shared after the final whistle. ‘It’s a tough one because of the way we play and the level he has been at. He’s a key player for us, he has been really good since last season.’

But Xavi looked for the silver lining after the incident, adding: ‘We have options to come in for him, so hopefully we won’t suffer too much. 

‘We will see how he is after the (October) international break. That’s all we can say for now.’

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