Gradually, the nursing staff of FC Barcelona is beginning to show a lighter load of injured players. With the recent medical clearances of Fermín López, Gavi, and Dani Olmo, the medical report indicates a total of six players under treatment. Some of them, like Marc Bernal (anterior cruciate ligament rupture in the left knee with involvement of the external meniscus) and Marc-André ter Stegen (complete rupture of the patellar tendon in the right knee), have no expectations of returning this season, unlike others with better prospects, such as Ferran Torres (muscle injury in the right thigh's hamstring), Andreas Christensen (Achilles tendonitis in the left Achilles), and Ronald Araújo.
In this regard, it appears that Ronald Araújo is one of the players with the best prospects for a speedy recovery. It's worth noting that the Uruguayan defender suffered a significant injury on July 7 during the match between Uruguay and Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America. After medical examinations, it was determined that he had a physical setback associated with the right thigh's hamstring tendon, requiring surgical intervention on July 22, with an estimated recovery time of around four months.
Fortunately, for FC Barcelona, the prospects for Ronald Araújo's return are increasingly promising. The Rivera native has used his social media (@ronaldaraujo_4) to show the intense gym workouts he is undergoing to recover optimally as soon as possible. Recently, he has shared encouraging images suggesting he may be close to returning to play in the Blaugrana shirt.
Ronald Araújo is getting closer to returning to the field
Araújo posted a series of photos on his Instagram account showing him in excellent physical shape while doing differentiated training on the pitch at one of the fields at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. With these advancements, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that the Uruguayan could meet the club's forecast for his return to the field.
Recently, it has been reported that Barcelona is hopeful that Ronald Araújo will be available to play in November, after the upcoming international break scheduled between Monday the 11th and Tuesday the 19th. It is expected that he may receive medical clearance just before the match against Celta de Vigo at Balaídos on November 23, corresponding to matchday 14 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024-25, or even return for the match against Stade Brestois in matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League, scheduled for November 26 at Montjuïc.
The return of Ronald Araújo is highly anticipated by FC Barcelona, as despite currently having a solid defensive line led by Iñigo Martínez and Pau Cubarsí, the presence of a player of Araújo's quality and leadership in the starting eleven would be crucial. Not only is he one of the best defenders in the world, but he is also a leader in the locker room and one of the team captains, which would add valuable depth to the squad in that position.