Frenkie de Jong captained the Netherlands on Friday night in the Nations League as Xavi Hernandez’s side beat Greece 7-0 in Amsterdam.
The Barcelona midfielder put in another strong showing but was taken off at half-time with his side already 5-0 up.
Xavi explained why he took De Jong off early and revealed the midfielder was struggling with some discomfort.
“Frenkie came to see me even before the match. He was feeling discomfort in his back. At halftime, we thought it was best to substitute him,” he told reporters.
However, Xavi was quick to rule out the possibility of an injury and is confident De Jong will be available for the second game of the break against Germany, add: “It’s nothing serious. Everyone will be available on Monday.”
De Jong also spoke about his fitness after the match and said it was just a precautionary move.
“It was 5-0 and I’ve just returned from an injury, of course, so that was fine. As a precaution. It’s not like I have a lot of match rhythm yet,” he added.
“And with all the traveling, the internationals, and recent history as well, of course, there was no need to take any risks.”
De Jong is only just back to full fitness after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury. The game against Greece was his first for the Netherlands since the World Cup last summer.
