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

Barcelona are preparing to go well over a month without one of their key players and alarming figures have shown that they cannot afford to go without him.

Xavi Hernandez’s side have made a fast start to the season and the LaLiga title holders currently sit at the top of the table after six matchdays.

In Saturday’s draw against Celta Vigo, they clawed back a win from two goals behind after an efficient brace from Robert Lewandowski sparked a comeback that was capped by a late winner courtesy of Manchester City outcast Joao Cancelo.

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

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

Frenkie de Jong was substituted in the first half against Celta Vigo and is struggling with an ankle injury

The Blaugrana won only six games for which De Jong has not been available since 2019″ class=”blkBorder img-share” style=”max-width:100%” />

The Blaugrana won only six games for which De Jong has not been available since 2019

While there is no specific timetable for his recovery, the player’s absence could raise concerns from his head coach.

According to Spanish outlet SportBarcelona have won just six of the games for which De Jong has not been available for selection since his move to Ajax in 2019.

The Dutchman has missed a total of just 16 games due to injury since his transfer in the four seasons he has spent in Catalonia, and without him the side have recorded seven draws and three defeats.

During the matches, Barcelona also struggled with goals, scoring only eighteen goals during the matches where he was unavailable for selection, while conceding thirteen.

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

De Jong was available for the entire 2020/21 season, but in 2021/22 Barca did not win any of the three games for which he was not available: two draws and one loss.

During the club’s title-winning campaign last season, he missed seven games in October and April, with the team frustrated by two wins, two draws and two defeats in that period.

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

Despite a tumultuous start to his time at Camp Nou – during which he was regularly linked with a move from his ‘dream club’ to Manchester United – De Jong has established himself under Xavi and become a regular in the club legend’s side .

Head coach Xavi Hernandez described his midfielder’s injury as a ‘big loss’ for the defending champions

The head coach reacted understandably pessimistically to his injury on Saturday and called De Jong ‘a key player’.

“It’s a big loss,” he shared after the final whistle. ‘It’s a difficult task because of the way we play and the level he is at. He is a key player for us, he has been very good since last season.’

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

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