FC Barcelona put in a significantly below-par performance in their last La Liga match against Granada, as the team conceded three goals against a team currently battling relegation and is currently 19th in the league.
Xavi rued the defensive mistakes made by his team when talking to the media after this match, but one of the reasons responsible for this poor defensive showing could be the absence of Ronald Araujo, who is one of the best defenders in the Barcelona squad.
His absence from the starting lineup for this match was surprising enough, but he did not even warm up at any point in the game despite the problems being faced by the Barcelona backline.
Now, Mundo Deportivo reports that the defender was not even able to participate in the recovery session that was scheduled by the club after the match against Granada.
However, the report further mentions that Araujo’s absence is nothing to be worried about, as he is only suffering from a muscle fatigue because of the abundance of minutes he has played this season.
The technical staff wanted him to get a fourteen-day rest, and as things stand, he will return to the pitch for the upcoming game against Celta Vigo.
Xavi had already explained in his presser after the match that Araujo was fine but fatigued because of his high playing time, and he wanted to play Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi because of their passing abilities.
In addition to Araujo, seven players who have been injured also did not take part in the training session, including Joao Felix, Ferran Torres, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde, Sergi Roberto, and Oriol Romeu.
However, Romeu is expected to be back for the Celta game as there was no medical report published on him. Sergi Roberto can also return for this match.
