Barcelona vice-captain Ronald Araujo returns after solving mental health issues

Araujo has not featured for Barcelona since November, following the 0–3 defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League, where the Uruguayan defender was sent off in the 44th minute. The club accepted a request from their vice-captain to step away from football, and he has now resumed training with the first team.

According to ESPN, Araujo spent time in Bethlehem and Jerusalem as part of a spiritual trip aimed at reconnecting mentally. He later returned to his hometown in Uruguay, where he trained individually over the Christmas period. The centre-back came back to Barcelona last week and officially rejoined full squad training on Monday.

Barcelona have ended their Christmas break and are preparing for Saturday’s league clash with Espanyol. The match is expected to be challenging, with Espanyol currently on a five-match winning streak and pushing for a Champions League qualification spot.

Alongside Araujo’s return, Pedri and Dani Olmo are also working towards rejoining the squad after missing last week’s match against Villarreal. Barcelona’s injury list has been reduced to two players: Gavi, who is expected to return in February, and Andreas Christensen, who may not be back until the end of the season.

Despite Araujo’s absence, Barcelona have won seven consecutive matches across all competitions and currently lead La Liga with 46 points, four clear of rivals Real Madrid. However, their Champions League campaign remains uncertain, with the club sitting 15th on 10 points and still at risk of early elimination ahead of their final two group matches against Slavia Praha and Copenhagen.

For now, Barcelona’s focus remains on domestic competition. After facing Espanyol, they will take on Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup on 8 January in Saudi Arabia, before a potential final against either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid. Their next La Liga fixture is scheduled for 19 January against Real Sociedad, followed by the Champions League match against Slavia Praha on 22 January.