De Jong delivers good news to Dutch fans just before Euro 2024

Midfielder Frenkie de Jong has officially returned to training with the Netherlands national team in preparation for their final friendly match against Iceland before the start of Euro 2024.

Ahead of their last friendly match before Euro 2024, the Netherlands national team welcomed back key midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The 27-year-old player was present in the team’s recent training session to prepare for the friendly against Iceland.

Confirming De Jong’s return, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman stated: “Frenkie participated in the training session, but we kept him out of any collisions. He might not be ready for the first match. However, we could wait until the second or third match. That’s a possibility.”

Even if he cannot play in the first two matches, we will still keep him with us. But if it seems he will miss the entire group stage, I may need to reconsider selecting him.”

Injuries have been a contributing factor to Frenkie de Jong’s limited playing time this season with Barcelona. The former Ajax star has appeared in only 30 matches across all competitions for Blaugrana, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. The 27-year-old has struggled with ankle injuries and has not played since April.

Timely recovery from injury will provide the Netherlands national team with an additional midfield option, a position deemed weak for the squad. De Jong’s presence is expected to bring balance between defense and attack, potentially leading to success for the Netherlands in this year’s tournament.

Regarding the team’s fitness ahead of the tournament, coach Koeman added: “Some players have had rest at the end of the season and come back refreshed. There are also players who are not yet ready for full 90 minutes, but we’ve been able to train well. Our job is to taper the intensity, recover, and start the first match in excellent physical condition.”

Up next, the Netherlands will face Iceland in a friendly match scheduled for 1:45 AM on June 11th.