One of the most consistent problems that Hansi Flick has had to face at FC Barcelona so far is the injury crisis. Despite already coming into a depleted team, the German coach saw some key players get injured under his watch as well. Unfortunately, that is simply the hand that has been dealt to the new Barcelona coach.
On the bright side, however, the former Bayern Munich coach has managed to sort things out well in the meantime while those players have remained sidelined. With his game-management skills and tactical expertise, Flick has enabled this Barcelona team to excel even without being at full strength.
Fortunately for the new Barcelona head coach, several first-team players are expected to make their return from injury against Sevilla in the very next game. However, there is a certain team captain who is still in recovery but his return remains highly anticipated for several reasons.
As per SPORT, the next player who will return from injury after the likes of Gavi, Fermin Lopez, and Dani Olmo will be none other than Ronald Araujo. The currently injured Uruguayan defender is already working on his recovery and it will not be much longer before he makes a full return.
At the moment, it is expected that he could return at some point in December or possibly even in November due to the promising progress that he has made so far. Ultimately, time will tell when he returns and how long it will take him to reach his best level again. As for the likes of Ferran Torres and Andreas Christensen, there is still uncertainty over when they will make their respective returns.
So far, the report also suggests that Barcelona believe that the defender will find proper consistency again by January. By then, La Blaugrana will be taking on some tough competition in La Liga, while also focusing on the Spanish Supercup and the last few league phase games of the UEFA Champions League.
Having the €70 million-rated defender available for those games will undoubtedly be a huge boost for Hansi Flick’s team. With the mentality that he possesses and the skillset that he provides, there is a strong belief that Araujo would instantly become a valuable asset for Hansi Flick to make use of.
Moreover, even updates on Araujo’s contract renewal seem to have taken a positive turn. The Barcelona captain now seems more open to continuing at the club and much of the reason behind that is Hansi Flick’s introduction. With the Uruguayan star now believing in the work that is being done, he sees the value in the sporting project that Barcelona has to offer moving forward.