Barcelona host Atlético Madrid on Tuesday evening looking to stay ahead in La Liga after claiming the top spot from Real Madrid over the weekend.
Hansi Flick’s side have won four league games on the bounce to overtake Real Madrid, who’ve dropped points in each of their last three games. Barcelona responded well after the dreadful loss to Chelsea in the Champions League, defeating Alavés 3–1 to complete their assault on first place in Spain’s top-flight.
The bulk of the critics following the debacle at Stamford Bridge were aimed at center back Ronald Araújo. Barça’s captain on the night was shown a red card before half time, adding another grim performance to his big-game record with the Catalans.
The Uruguayan was not included in the matchday squad at the weekend vs. Alavés in the immediate aftermath of the bout vs. Chelsea. Three days later, he again won’t be an option for Flick as Diego Simeone’s side visit Camp Nou.
Why Ronald Araujo Will Miss Atletico Madrid Visit
Araújo will miss his second consecutive match after Barcelona granted him time off to address private issue surrounding his mental health.
The club previously stated that his absence for the clash against Alavés was due to a stomach virus. Now, reports suggest that the 26-year-old and his agents asked Barcelona for a leave of absence to work on his personal matters.
Flick was asked about Araújo’s situation on the eve of the clash vs. Atleti. The German manager made a brief but telling statement on his vice captain.
“Ronald is not ready at the moment,” Flick said. “It’s a private situation and I don’t want to say more and please also respect it. This is what I can say and what I want to say.”
Barcelona released a statement saying, “He has our full support. The entire club, teammates and staff are with him and we look forward to having him back,” via BBC.
When Will Ronald Araújo Return for Barcelona?
There’s no clear timeline for Araújo’s return. Given the delicate situation, the Uruguayan was given an indefinite leave of absence to recover fully, per MARCA.
Araújo is physically fit, so his return to the pitch will depend on when he feels psychologically well enough to rejoin the team.
Flick, sport director Deco and club president Joan Laporta have made public statements backing Araújo ever since his red card against Chelsea and Barcelona have granted the player their full support during this difficult time.
Furthermore, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso also offered his thoughts on the situation when asked about it on the eve of los Blancos’s clash vs. Athletic Club.
“Above all, you have to respect the feelings and the needs of players,” Alonso said. “They are not machines, they’re persons. In every context, there’s a lot of demands and a lot of responsibility. If they decided that [Araújo’s leave of absence] for the good of the kid, then it seems logical to me.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Ronald Araujo is Not Playing for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid.
