Frenkie de Jong is ready to make his return to the Dutch national team for the upcoming Nations League fixtures after more than a year of absence. The midfielder has also sent a message of reassurance to Barcelona fans after handing the club an injury scare in their latest match against Real Sociedad. De Jong suffered a setback in the 25th minute of the game but remained on the pitch until half-time.

“I’m fine, I have some pain but I think everything will be fine,” insisted the Dutchman, as he feared a relapse of the injury that kept him off the pitch for more than five months. De Jong underwent medical tests with the Netherlands medical staff, which denied any fitness problem.

“I am very happy and look forward to the future. It’s been a long time since I played for the Dutch national team. It’s a great honour and I’m always happy to be here.” said De Jong, as the Netherlands prepare to face Hungary on Saturday.

The 27-year-old also opened up on his recovery process from the ankle injury that prevented him from playing in the Euros during the summer. “It was difficult, it was a very painful injury. I missed many games and the most important thing was the Euros, of course. I started playing again. I’m growing back to 100% where I should be in terms of form and physical condition, so at the moment I feel good,” he said.

“Sometimes I thought: when is this going to end? I always had a belief that I would play football again, but the uncertainty regarding recovery was very difficult. Whether I would return the same as I was, I thought about that”, he concluded, as he spoke to ‘NOS’.