Barcelona is anticipating the return of their Dutch player Frenkie de Jong before the second leg against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, at a time when the team is clearly struggling in the midfield.

The only fully available players are Pedri and Marc Casado, while Gavi has not yet recovered to be ready for matches, increasing the difficulty of the team's lineup.

The crisis worsened after Marc Bernal suffered an ankle injury in the last match, threatening his participation in the upcoming Atletico clashes.

Mundo Deportivo revealed that De Jong is close to returning to training this week, in preparation for obtaining medical clearance and participating in upcoming matches. The player had suffered a muscle injury last February that sidelined him for several weeks, but he is now nearing a return.

The coaching staff hopes to prepare De Jong for the upcoming Espanyol match, so he can be an available option for the second leg against Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona had achieved an important victory against Atletico Madrid in the thirtieth round of La Liga with a score of two to one, with goals scored by Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski, while Atletico's only goal was scored by Giuliano Simeone.

This victory raised Barcelona's tally to 76 points at the top of the league table, 7 points ahead of Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid's tally remained at 57 points in fourth place, one point behind Villarreal in third place.