According to Mundo Deportivo, De Jong will be out for several months due to injury. In the 32 matches Flick previously coached without him, the team's record was 25 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses.

Hans Flick has always found solutions for De Jong's absence. The Dutch midfielder suffered a medial collateral ligament tear in his right knee while playing for his national team in the World Cup and is currently back on the injury list. Barcelona has not yet announced the duration of his absence, but it is expected to be several months.

Since taking over Barcelona in the summer of 2024, Flick has fielded a starting lineup without De Jong in 32 out of 117 matches, with 14 in the 2024-25 season and 18 in the 2025-26 season. De Jong's absences were due to 21 injuries, 4 times as a substitute, 2 illnesses, 2 suspensions, and 3 times not being included in the matchday squad. Barcelona's record in these matches was 25 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses.

To organize the midfield without De Jong, Flick has used 8 players, with the most interesting aspect being the frequency of each player's appearances. Pedri was used the most, 22 times; Casado was second, which is surprising, appearing 16 times. This academy player is now one of the players Flick's team is willing to sell, but given that De Jong will take some time to return, Barcelona might reconsider its plan for his likely departure.

In a double pivot or diamond midfield system, Marc Bernal appeared 12 times, Eric 9 times, Pablo Torre and Olmo 3 times each, and Gavi and Fermín 2 times each.

The specific partnership data is also very telling. Without De Jong, the most common double pivot combination was Casado partnering Pedri, for 8 matches; followed by Marc Bernal partnering Pedri, for 6 matches; and Casado partnering Marc Bernal for 4 matches. There were 10 other midfield arrangements, 7 of which were three-midfielder configurations. The versatility of Barcelona's players allows Flick to create various combinations with players like Gavi, Fermín, Olmo, or Pablo Torre.

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