"Really hard to understand Flick", "Disrespectful to him" - Barcelona fans question star's absence from matchday sqaud for Atletico Madrid clash
Barcelona fans on social media are frustrated after Frenkie de Jong was left out of the squad for the crucial LaLiga clash against Atletico Madrid. The two title-chasing sides are set to take on each other at the Metropolitano on Sunday, March 16. Manager Hansi Flick's decision to start Marc Casado over De Jong, while leaving the Dutch midfielder out entirely, has made the fans furious.
Given his experience and how he has been playing, it was natural to expect De Jong to be part of such an important game. With the Dutch midfielder having had a frustrating injury record this season, his absence will certainly bring his current levels of fitness into question.
Barcelona sit second in La Liga, with two games in hand over Real Madrid, who are in first. They know that a victory against Atletico could spark them past their eternal enemies, who stand just three points above them on the table. Criticism of De Jong's omission has flooded social media with comments like these:
"Casado starts over Frenkie all of a sudden, sometimes really hard to understand Flick." a fan complained.
"so disrespectful to frenkie if he didn’t have an injury" another argued.
"The surprise here is that Flick’s gone with Casado ahead of Frenkie, VERY interesting. No complaints from me, I like it!" this fan saw positives.
"Casado replaces Frenkie in the XI 👀👀 What’s Flick cooking?" another asked.
"Casado over Frenkie? Interesting choice." another noted.
Frenkie de Jong dismisses Barcelona contract speculation
Frenkie de Jong has played down reports to suggest talks over a new contract with Barcelona have stalled, insisting speculation does not concern him. The Dutch midfielder, who is under contract until 2026, said to Ziggo Sport (via FotMob):
"Let the newspapers talk about me. I've been here for a while now, so I'm used to it. It can be frustrating. At some point, they invented things, so I had to express myself."
De Jong has put on quality performances in his 29 appearances this season, despite uncertainty over his future. After having recovered from his long-term ankle injury, he said:
"I feel good. I'm in very good shape, and I don't think about my ankle during matches any more."
Barcelona reportedly plan to offer him a contract extension, though those talks will take place after the season.
