Ten months later, Van de Beek finally starts for Girona

Donny van de Beek finally took the field for Girona as a starter in the club's first pre‑season friendly, marking his first minutes in ten months after a long injury lay‑off. The match took place on Saturday, the opening friendly of the new season, and van de Beek was listed in the starting eleven.

Voor de voormalige Ajacied zijn het zijn eerste minuten sinds hij geblesseerd raakte in september. The Dutch midfielder had not played since a September injury that sidelined him for months.

On 23 September 2025 van de Beek started for Girona in a competitive duel against Athletic Bilbao in the Baskenland. After just over half an hour he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, a setback that required at least six months of rehabilitation.

He returned to the Catalan side’s match‑day squad towards the end of the previous season but did not feature on the pitch. The long recovery meant he missed almost ten months of competitive action.

On 18 July van de Beek finally started again, this time in a friendly against the Saudi club Al‑Qadsiah. Gabriel Misehouy, celebrating his 21st birthday, also began the match, while the opposition, coached by Brendan Rodgers, fielded new signing Souffian El Karouani at left‑back after his summer move from FC Utrecht.

Girona are now preparing for a campaign in Spain’s second tier after being relegated as the 19th‑placed team from LaLiga, ending four seasons at the top level. The club’s most notable top‑flight season was 2023/24, when they finished third and qualified for the Champions League.

Van de Beek joined Girona from Manchester United after that successful season, and over two seasons in Spain he made a modest 37 appearances. His return to the starting lineup signals a fresh chapter for both player and club.

Vandaag at 18:11 the club announced the line‑up, confirming van de Beek’s full‑match debut in the pre‑season.