Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has missed out on a place in the club’s starting XI once more on Sunday.

This comes amid confirmation that the Dutchman is struggling with a fresh fitness problem.

Barcelona are of course set to kick the club’s campaign back into gear in short order, in a La Liga meeting with Sevilla.

Speaking to the media in his pre-match press conference, Hansi Flick confirmed that he was giving serious consideration to affording De Jong what would have been a first start of the campaign, with the midfielder having fully recovered from a serious ankle injury:

“I’ve been thinking of starting Frenkie tomorrow because he is ready, but we will see.”

In turn, it came as a surprise when, mere hours later, word was forthcoming that De Jong was struggling with yet another injury concern, this time round a muscular one.

And as much, it has since been confirmed, has proven enough to condemn the 27-year-old to a place on the bench once more on Sunday: