The midfielder was absent from the Catalan side’s trip to Belgium for their final group stage match and RAC1 reports that sporting director Deco spoke to him on the phone and doubted the midfielder’s excuse that he was ill. De Jong’s agent, Ali Dursun, has stepped forward to set the record straight, highlighting his professionalism.

WHAT ALI DURSUN SAID

The representative told De Telegraaf: “Total fake news. It is the biggest nonsense that has been released around Frenkie in a long time. The player is just sick. He has symptoms of fever and has been unable to travel and play. This boy is a professional through and through. Just a model professional. Just don’t touch Frenkie’s reputation, because he always delivers. There was no shouting over the phone as claimed, no question marks. Things are being created now in a false way. The relationship with Deco is simply good and stable.”

• THE BIGGER PICTUREBarcelona had already secured their place in the last-16 of the Champions League as Group H winners before their clash in Antwerp. The Spanish side went on to lose 3-2, with De Jong’s replacement Oriol Romeu looking particularly weak in the middle of the park.

  Getty WHAT NEXT FOR DE JONG?Barcelona have now lost two games in a row and will hope to have De Jong back and fit again when they come up against Valencia in La Liga on Saturday.