FC Barcelona confirmed on Thursday that Frenkie de Jong will be out for up to six weeks with a leg injury.
The club said the Netherlands midfielder hurt his right hamstring during training in the morning. Doctors expect him to miss five to six weeks.
De Jong will miss the Champions League last 16 tie against Newcastle United. He will also sit out key La Liga matches against Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano.
He will not play in next Tuesday’s Spanish Cup semi final second leg. Barcelona need to recover from a 4-0 first leg loss against Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona lead La Liga by one point over Real Madrid. They host Villarreal on Saturday.
De Jong will also miss the March international break. The Netherlands are set to play Norway and Ecuador in friendly matches before the World Cup.
