On 25 November, Ronald Araujo hit rock bottom. He got himself sent off against Chelsea, leaving his team with an uphill battle as they ultimately suffered a thrashing in London. It wasn't an isolated incident; unhappy with his performance, he felt a need to step back. Hansi Flick and the FC Barcelona hierarchy showed understanding towards the Uruguayan, granting him a period of reflection that is still ongoing.

Since then, he has missed six matches, during which Barcelona reinvented Gerard Martin and achieved a perfect run of victories. However, the Uruguayan offers more than just another option, and the Blaugrana coach expects him to be 100% when the season's crucial fixtures arrive. 'Marca' reports that Ronald Araujo has now set a return date, agreed with the coaching staff.

Consequently, the 26-year-old defender is expected to rejoin FC Barcelona training after the Christmas break. This return is scheduled for Monday, 29 December, when the squad will begin preparations for the Barcelona derby against Espanyol, taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026 at the RCDE Stadium. Ronald Araujo has targeted that match for his return in the Blaugrana shirt.

During these weeks away for personal reasons, Ronald Araujo has continued to train individually with club guidance. He used his time off for a spiritual trip to Israel, visiting Jerusalem and several significant sites for the Christian faith. Afterwards, he planned to travel to Uruguay, where he would spend Christmas surrounded by loved ones.

Once this period of retreat, designed for self-reconnection and calm, concludes, FC Barcelona hopes he can approach the second half of the season with greater clarity. Ronald Araujo has not spent such an extended period on the sidelines since July 2024, when he underwent surgery for a hamstring tendon injury sustained at the Copa America. That injury kept him out for the entire first half of the season, and he did not play again until 4 January this year.

Ronald Araujo

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