Watch: Barcelona star put through training ground tunnel of slaps

Q: Why hasn't Frenkie de Jong played in a competitive match since February?

Frenkie de Jong has not participated in competitive matches due to unspecified circumstances affecting his availability.

Q: What is a 'tunnel of slaps' in football training?

'Tunnel of slaps' is a traditional training exercise where players run through a line of teammates who slap them as they pass, often used for team bonding and morale.

Watch: Barcelona star put through training ground tunnel of slaps

A member of the midfield ranks at La Liga champions Barcelona was on Friday put through a traditional ‘tunnel of slaps’ at the club’s training ground.

The player in question? Frenkie de Jong.

Dutch international De Jong has for his part not taken to the pitch in a competitive setting since all the way back in February.

This comes owing to a serious hamstring injury suffered during training.

The former Ajax man has spent recent days ramping up his recovery efforts, with a view to rejoining group training alongside the rest of Hansi Flick’s squad.

And as alluded to above, on Friday, De Jong managed precisely as much.

As is tradition at the Ciutat Esportiva, the 28-year-old was in turn put through a tunnel of slaps by his teammates, as showcased in the footage below:

The hope is now that De Jong will be medically cleared in time to feature from the off against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals this week.

Conor Laird – GSFN