Koeman, De Yang fitness review: 'Not 100% but in good shape'

Barcelona midfielder and captain Frenkie de Jong has been named in the starting line-up as the Netherlands and Sweden clash at the 2026 World Cup. This was despite doubts about his health. Netherlands national team coach Ronald Koeman has said that De Jong is facing some health problems in the boot area. However, he is now said to be fit enough to feature in the starting line-up.

Koeman spoke about De Jong's fitness ahead of the match against Sweden, which could cause some concern for Barcelona. "He's not 100%, but he's in a position where we can start him in the tournament," he noted.


"We are still ahead of the warm-up and we have to make sure of that," Koeman said. Ahead of the match against Sweden, De Jong said "it's not a concern, we want to put out the best and strongest team in the tournament", fueling concerns about fitness.

Koeman opted to start a top player like De Jong as the Netherlands did not win their first match against Japan and they need all three points today. However, Barcelona have been criticized for bringing the 29-year-old midfielder back into action after health difficulties. Meanwhile, Barcelona are worried about the fitness issues of Robina and Ronald Araujo, so they need to keep a close eye on De Jong's fitness and performance.

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