Barcelona furious over national team’s handling of club captain’s injury situation | OneFootball

Barcelona are reportedly far from pleased with how Ronald Araujo’s physical condition has been managed during his time with the Uruguay national team.

According to SPORT, the Catalan club is increasingly frustrated after a situation that they believe could have been avoided. 

The concern is not only the injury itself, but the fact that Barcelona’s medical recommendations were allegedly ignored, leading to a fresh setback for the club captain.

Now, with the World Cup approaching and Araujo expected to play a major role for Uruguay, the episode has created tension between the Blaugrana and the national team.

Barcelona feel Uruguay ignored medical recommendations

The outlet mentions that Araujo arrived at Uruguay’s training camp already carrying discomfort in his calf, with visible swelling that required careful management.

Araujo was injured while on national team duty. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s medical staff allegedly informed Uruguay that the defender should train separately during the opening days of the camp to avoid aggravating the issue. 

The plan was designed to gradually increase his workload while reducing the risk of injury. However, those recommendations were not followed.

Instead, Araujo participated in the same demanding training as the rest of the squad, including double training sessions overseen by Marcelo Bielsa’s coaching staff. 

The increased workload is said to have resulted in a minor muscle tear, although the problem did not become more serious because the player himself decided to stop training.

So what now?

After this development, Araujo subsequently travelled back to Spain to undergo examinations with specialists he trusts. 

Araujo returned to Barcelona for treatment. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

There, the diagnosis was confirmed, and a specific recovery programme was designed to help him return to action safely ahead of the World Cup.

Now, the defender is expected to rejoin Uruguay’s camp, but his participation in the opening match against Saudi Arabia is now considered highly doubtful as all parties seek to avoid further risks.

Simply put, Barcelona’s concern centres around communication and trust. 

When a player arrives with a pre-existing physical issue, clubs and national teams are expected to work together to manage the situation responsibly. 

However, Barcelona believe the agreed protocol was not respected by the national team.