BARCELONA
Ronald Araujo suffers facial fracture injury, will play with a mask against Girona in LaLiga
The Uruguayan centre-back took a strong hit against Atlético Madrid, giving Xavi a selection headache.
FC Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo has suffered a facial fracture that he sustained during his side’s 1-0 win over Atlético Madrid in LaLiga. However, he is not expected to miss the game against Girona (Sunday, December 10, KO 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.) at the weekend in match day 16 of the season.
The Uruguayan central defender has been a stalwart in Xavi’s starting lineup this season, and has been a key piece in his defensive line, playing both in the middle and on the right.
Which players are injured for Barcelona?
Xavi, all of a sudden, has plenty of injury woes to contend with after it was recently revealed that German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen will undergo surgery on a back issue that he sustained while on international duty. He has not played since mid-November, with Iñaki Peña taking his place against Porto and Atlético Madrid.
Iñigo Martínez is another player who is injured for Barcelona. The ex-Athletic Club centre-back is suffering from a hamstring issue and he will be out until 2024. Ronald Araujo is now a new addition to this injury list, but, as mentioned, he will hope to be back by the weekend.
What injury does Ronald Araujo have?
Araujo went down in the game against Atlético but was back on his feet in no time, with the initial shock of the hit to the face not affecting the player. However, now it seems that checks have indeed confirmed a facial fracture.
In Ter Stegen’s absence from the side, Ronald Araujo is Xavi’s number one captain in the side, something which makes the 24-year-old’s presence even more crucial for the Catalan side as they continue their march through a tough run of fixtures. The player is said to have rejected the option to undergo surgery and will wear a mask against Girona.