Following their 0-1 victory over Real Sociedad over the weekend, Barcelona had the opportunity to improve and return to the UEFA Champions League with a stronger performance against Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek.
However, their disappointment was compounded today as they put on another lackluster performance and did not walk away with all three points.
Danylo Sakin’s first-half goal was enough for Shakhtar to win, although Barcelona mustered only one attempt on target in 90 minutes.
To make things worse, the star of the Sociedad game, Ronald Araujo, was uneasy in the last minutes and walked with an evident limp.
Fortunately, SPORT claimed that Araujo had some pain, but nothing suggests that the player is hurt. He will, however, undergo final tests tomorrow, which will decide his availability for the weekend match against Deportivo Alaves.
Araujo’s injuries are growing concerning.
When healthy, Ronald Araujo is one of Barcelona’s most valuable assets. He is an excellent defender who handles effectively with attacking threats and can easily lock up Europe’s greatest strikers.
His injury issues, on the other hand, are growing more concerning.
Araujo already suffered an injury following the season’s first game against Getafe and missed a few gameweeks. Furthermore, he only played in 22 league games last season and was injured for the majority of the others.
International vacation is on the way.
To make things worse for Barcelona, the international break is quickly approaching. Following this weekend’s games, players will travel for international qualifying and friendlies.
During this season, Uruguay will compete in CONMEBOL qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia. Araujo, who is a key member of Uruguay’s national team setup under Marcelo Bielsa, will very certainly be called up and will almost certainly play both games.