Barcelona's De Jong out until mid-April with hamstring injury

MADRID, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona will be without Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong until mid-April after the club said Thursday he sustained a muscle injury.

"Frenkie de Jong has injured his right hamstring during training this morning. Tests confirm that the recovery process will take between five and six weeks," the club said on its website.

The injury comes at the start of a demanding run for Barcelona. The team hosts third-place Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday before trying to overturn a 4-0 first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid in the second leg of its Copa del Rey semifinal on March 3.

De Jong will also miss the Champions League round of 16 and could be a doubt for the quarterfinals if Barcelona advances.

The midfielder has made 31 appearances for Barcelona this season, scoring once. His absence comes just as Spain midfielder Pedri returned from injury in last weekend's 3-0 home win over Levante, a match in which De Jong scored the second goal.

De Jong's injury could allow Marc Bernal, who has impressed in recent weeks, to continue starting regularly. ■