FC Barcelona's great start to the season in LaLiga, with seven wins in a row, made the fans forget about Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen, both of whom were ruled out for the first two months of the competition due to physical problems. After the hard fall on Saturday against Osasuna (4-2), the culers have once again missed the Uruguayan and the Dane, two key pieces in the defense of the team that won LaLiga in 2023.
For now, Iñigo Martínez and Pau Cubarsí have responded to Hansi Flick's trust. The Basque and the youth player have been, along with Jules Koundé, the leaders of the Barça team, but things changed radically at El Sadar with the '5' on the bench. The absences due to injury and the limited wardrobe led the German coach to opt for Sergi Domínguez and Gerard Martín, two players with enormous projection, but without the muscle and character necessary to prevail in an always complicated field.
Barça, without news on the return of Araújo and Christensen
For now, both defenders continue their recovery process without any news. The 'Charrúa' underwent surgery in July for the injury to the hamstring tendon in his right thigh suffered during the Copa América and should be discharged at the end of December or beginning of January. However, the club has not yet defined his return date, as precautions are maximum due to Ronald's history with physical problems.
With Andreas, the outlook is more encouraging. The Dane was removed from the group due to tendinopathy in his left Achilles tendon that, in principle, would keep him out for a couple of months, although the board opted to include him on the long-term injured list to facilitate the registration of Dani Olmo . The former Chelsea defender could reappear after the October international break, as long as he receives a medical discharge in the coming days.
Both Araújo and Christensen were on Barça's list of transferable players in the summer, but their respective injuries cut short any possibility of a sale. In January, the club will be open to listening to offers, although the options of closing a transfer are few at this point. Firstly, due to the physical condition of both (especially that of the Uruguayan) and, secondly, due to the lack of Barca's wardrobe to face such a demanding schedule.