Ronald Araujo Returns to Training but Rules Himself Out of Barcelona Derby

The defender’s comeback follows a player-led plan with club medical and sporting staff, prioritizing his mental and physical readiness.

Overview

Araujo informed Hansi Flick he is not ready to play, so he will not feature in today’s Catalan derby against Espanyol and his Spanish Super Cup availability remains uncertain.
He has rejoined group work and completed five sessions this week after a five-week mental health break that began following his red card at Chelsea on November 25.
Flick said Araujo is not yet 100% physically and that the pace of his return will be set by the player, noting strong support from teammates.
During his absence, Araujo trained individually in Uruguay under a club-guided program and returned without a fixed deadline for selection.
Decisions on his reintegration involve Flick, club doctor Ricard Pruna, sporting director Deco, and a mental-health specialist, with reporting indicating Barcelona are weighing short-term defensive cover.