Barcelona likely to take a chance on using player for Copa del Rey El Clasico even if he isn't fully fit - Reports
Barcelona could take a chance on using Frenkie de Jong against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on April 5.
The Catalan giants won the first leg 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 2, where the Dutchman played the full 90 minutes. However, he suffered a tear in his right thigh muscle in Barca's 2-1 La Liga win against Real Madrid on March 19.
De Jong missed his team's 4-0 league win against Elche on Saturday (April 1) as a result of the injury. He is now a major doubt for the return leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
However, as per SPORT (h/t Football-Espana), there is a chance that the Catalan giants will risk him in the upcoming El Clasico. Their decision could be strengthened by the fact that the Catalan giants already have one hand on the league trophy.
Barcelona have 71 points from 27 games and lead second-placed Real Madrid by 15 points, having played one more game. They do not have any other major fixtures with dire consequences apart from a potential Copa del Rey final.
Xavi Hernandez had to experiment against Elche by playing Eric Garcia in the No. 6 role due to a lack of options at his disposal. Apart from De Jong, Pedri is also sidelined from action with a hamstring issue.
Ousmane Dembele (muscle injury) and Andreas Christensen (calf strain) are likely to miss the game against Real Madrid. Xavi, nevertheless, received a major boost as Ronald Araujo returned to action against Elche after missing out on international duty due to a thigh injury.
Xavi praised Barcelona trio's versatility after win vs Elche
Xavi Hernandez said he is happy to have versatile players such as Marcos Alonso, Sergio Roberto and Frenkie de Jong at his disposal following Barcelona's win against Elche.
Roberto can play as a right-midfielder, right-back and central midfielder. Alonso, meanwhile, can play as a left-wing-back and left-back and has played several games in central defense under Xavi this season. Roberto started in central midfield, while Alonso partnered Ronald Araujo at centre-back against Los Franjiverdes.
The Spanish tactician said after the game (h/t BarcaUniversal):
"It’s amazing to have so many versatile players. Sergi can play in several positions, Frenkie too. Marcos Alonso is excellent as a centre-back."
De Jong missed the game due to an injury. The Dutchman can play as a No. 6 as well as a No. 8, while Xavi also played him as a centre-back in pre-season. The 25-year-old has been vital to the Spanish manager's plans this campaign, playing in 34 games across competitions.