FC Barcelona performed well below par in their most recent La Liga match against Granada, conceding three goals against a relegation-threatened team that is presently 19th in the league.
When speaking with the media following the match, Xavi lamented his team’s defensive mistakes, although one of the reasons for this bad defensive performance could be the absence of Ronald Araujo, one of Barcelona’s greatest defenders.
His absence from the starting lineup was unexpected enough, but he did not even warm up during the game, despite the Barcelona backline’s issues.
Mundo Deportivo now says that the defender was unable to partake in the club’s post-match recovery session against Granada.
However, the source goes on to say that Araujo’s absence is not cause for concern, as he is just suffering from muscle exhaustion as a result of the high number of minutes he has played this season.
The technical team intended him to have a fourteen-day recuperation period, and as things stand, he will return to the pitch for the following match against Celta Vigo.
Xavi had earlier stated in his post-match press conference that Araujo was alright but exhausted due to his extended playing time, and that he preferred to play Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi because of their passing ability.
In addition to Araujo, seven injured players did not participate in the training session: Joao Felix, Ferran Torres, Gavi, Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde, Sergi Roberto, and Oriol Romeu.
However, Romeu is anticipated to return for the Celta game because no medical report has been issued on him. Sergi Roberto may possibly return for this encounter.
