Ronald Araujo absence explained as Hansi Flick provides update ahead of Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

FC Barcelona secured an important 3–1 win over Alavés last weekend, with Lamine Yamal and a Dani Olmo brace delivering Hansi Flick’s side their second straight victory at the new Spotify Camp Nou. Despite the result, the overall performance left room for improvement.

Two key players who missed the Alavés match were Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo. De Jong was a late withdrawal due to a personal matter, while Araujo was initially reported to be sidelined with a virus.

De Jong has since returned to group training and is expected to be available for the clash against Atlético Madrid. Araujo, however, has continued to miss training sessions, leaving his situation uncertain throughout the week.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

This comes on the heels of the Uruguayan’s costly moment against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week, which saw him sent off in the first half. It appears this has affected Araujo more than expected.

For a player under immense pressure to prove himself, it was another forgettable moment. The South American has let his team down in Europe for the third consecutive season.

Today, Hansi Flick finally provided clarity. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Atlético Madrid clash, the Barça coach confirmed that Ronald Araujo will not feature this Tuesday, stating:

“Ronald Araujo can’t play, and he’s experiencing a private problem… please, respect him”.

For a player under pressure to steady his form and rebuild momentum, it marks another tough moment in what has been a challenging spell. Still, Flick’s comments suggest the matter is personal, and Barcelona are treating it with discretion.

Whether Ronald Araujo will return in time for the next run of fixtures remains unknown, but for now, the priority within the Catalan club appears to be giving him the space he needs.