25-year-old Barcelona star remains a doubt for the game against Rayo Vallecano – Report | OneFootball

Following an encouraging win against Sevilla, FC Barcelona are set to return to action in La Liga this Monday when they take on Rayo Vallecano.

The Blaugranes are already training for this game, which can be important in the league title race as there is very little to separate the top three competitors, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid, on the La Liga table.

However, as Diario AS has reported, the central defender Ronald Araújo has not been able to train with the rest of the team in the latest training session ahead of this game, and trained only on the sidelines, separately from the rest of his teammates.

The Uruguayan defender suffered an injury to his right ankle in last week’s game against Sevilla. After making some effort to remain on the pitch, the center-back had to be ultimately withdrawn as he was in severe pain.

Once back in Barcelona following this trip to Andalusia, Araújo underwent detailed tests, and the Catalans confirmed that he was suffering only from a bruise and that there wasn’t anything serious.

However, this physical problem has already kept the 25-year-old defender from participating in two training sessions this week.

If the match had been scheduled for Saturday or Sunday, he would have already been ruled out for the game against Rayo Vallecano, but as the match is on Monday, he still has time to make it to the squad list.

But it is quite clear that Hansi Flick will not be taking any risks with Araújo, as he understands that he will need all of his players in the upcoming months, as the season enters its most crucial stretch.

Meanwhile, the center of the defense is also well covered by the presence of Iñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarsí, and Eric Garcia, and there is no reason to risk the Uruguayan for the upcoming game.