Barcelona are set to be without one of their star defenders for up to three months after the decision was taken yesterday that Ronald Araujo should undergo surgery.
Uruguay will also be without one of their star defenders for the World Cup. Some have criticised his decision, believing that with a more conservative treatment method, he might have been able to make the World Cup.
After the decision became public, Araujo himself decided to address the matter on his Twitter account.
“I want to make clear the reasons for which I took my decision, in order to avoid speculation.”
“I love my country and I love my national team.”
— Ronald Araujo (@RonaldAraujo_4) September 26, 2022
“After consulting the matter with various professionals, we decided that the best thing for it is a surgical intervention. Here it is not about choosing one option or another, it is about health and returning to 100% as soon as possible.”
“On a personal level these are difficult moments and I would like to take the chance to thank everyone for the support I was receiving. With faith and hard work I will give the best of myself to return as quickly as possible. A hug and blessings!”
Sport say that there is a small chance that Araujo could make the World Cup, in the absolute best of cases. It would mean recovering in two months rather than the three that most diagnoses recommend. Either way it will depend on his progress and although Araujo will do all he can to make it, there is little optimism that he will do so.
For their part, Sport say Barcelona will receive around €20k in compensation from FIFA for Araujo’s injury, which will be a small part of his weekly wage and little consolation.
On a macro level, perhaps the more worrying aspect is that Araujo once again is facing time out with an injury. He is yet to remain fit for an entire season and injuries are threatening to derail his young career.
