Long-term Barcelona injury absentee eyeing return in first week of December

La Liga table-toppers Barcelona could be boosted by the return to fitness of a key member of the club’s defensive ranks, early next month.

That’s according to Diario Sport, who name Ronald Araújo as the player in question.

Defender Araújo is of course yet to take to the pitch this season.

Owing to a hamstring injury suffered whilst lining out for Uruguay at the Copa América during the summer, the 25-year-old was forced under the knife, a procedure which took place in Finland back in July.

Araújo spent his initial recovery period back in his home country, but returned to Catalunya’s capital back in September.

The hope, in turn, was that the stopper would return to the pitch at some point in November, to reinforce an under-manned central-defensive setup under new Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick.

This has since not proven the case, but Araújo, nevertheless, is closing on an imminent comeback.

As per a report from Sport, ‘the week with the matches against Mallorca (December 3rd) and Real Betis (December 7th) is in sight’ for the Uruguayan to take to the pitch for the first time in 2024/25.

Conor Laird – GSFN