“If it were up to me, I would tell him to go home” - Rafael van der Vaart gives bold advice to Barcelona superstar

Netherlands icon Rafael van Der Vaart has offered advice to Barcelona superstar Frenkie de Jong following his return to international duty. The former Real Madrid star urged the Barca midfielder to withdraw from the national team and focus on returning to full fitness.

Recall that Frenkie de Jong finally made his return to the pitch last month following a long-term ankle injury. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has been cautious with the 27-year-old, giving him just 245 minutes of playing time since then.

De Jong made his highly anticipated return to the national team during this international break. He came on as a substitute in the Netherlands' 4-0 victory over Hungary in the UEFA Nations League (November 16) and put up an eye-catching performance that fetched him plaudits.

The midfielder is expected to be on the bench once again when his country take on Bosnia in their next game tomorrow (November 19). However, Rafael van Der Vaart doesn't think that is a good idea as he urged the player to return home and focus on his recovery to full fitness.

"He had a great game, but he can and must be even better. That makes sense. He has achieved a lot, but now he has to stay fit. He is a fantastic player who will benefit us greatly,” the former Dutch international said, as quoted by SPORT.

"If it were up to me, I would tell him to go home. He doesn’t need any more trips. He has to be careful with that ankle. It’s quite dangerous. It gets into your head and causes discomfort,” he added.

So far this season, Frenkie de Jong has played seven games for Barcelona across all competitions, starting just two of them. He was a standout performer during the 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, coming on as a second half substitute to put his side on the front foot with a sleek display.

What is next for Barcelona and Frenkie de Jong?

Barcelona will return to action in La Liga immediately after the international break. The Catalan giants are scheduled to go head-to-head with Celta Vigo at the Balaidos Stadium on Saturday, November 23

Following that, they'll switch to the UEFA Champions League where they will square off against Brest on Matchday 5 (November 26). They will then return to the Spanish top flight to lock horns with Las Palmas (November 30).

Meanwhile, Frankie de Jong will need to fight for his place in the starting line-up, with players like Pedri, Marc Casado and Dani Olmo having made a strong case for themselves to be ahead in the perking order.