Barcelona Put Trust in Youth Instead of Rushing to Replace Injured de Jong

Barcelona will have to cope without one of their midfield pillars for a significant spell. Frenkie de Jong has suffered a serious injury, and the 29-year-old Dutchman is expected to be sidelined for around four months. Yet according to Diario Sport, the Catalan giants are in no hurry to dive into the transfer market for a direct replacement. Manager Hansi Flick intends to give opportunities to homegrown talents during pre-season instead. The youngsters in line for a chance are Tommy Marquez, Guille Fernandez and Bryan Farinyas. Only if none of the academy graduates manages to impress will the club reconsider strengthening the midfield — and that would likely happen later in the summer window, when the transfer deadline approaches. Barcelona are coming off a season where they claimed the La Liga title, reached the Champions League quarter-finals and went out in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.