Ronald Araújo Takes Time Off for Mental Health Support

Barcelona has offered defender Ronald Araújo a break as he navigates mental health challenges affecting his performance this season, as confirmed by sources to ESPN.

The 26-year-old has made 15 appearances for the club across all competitions this season, with his most recent match concluding in a red card during last week’s 3-0 Champions League defeat to Chelsea.

Subsequently, Araújo missed the weekend’s 3-1 victory over Alavés, with the club initially attributing his absence to a stomach bug.

However, ahead of Tuesday’s LaLiga fixture against Atlético Madrid, coach Hansi Flick revealed that the Uruguayan international is managing some personal matters.

A source clarified to ESPN that while Araújo is physically fit, he has not been mentally sound for some time and has asked the club for time to recuperate.

The ESPN source aimed to clarify the situation to prevent any misunderstanding following Flick’s earlier comments on Monday.

“Ronald is not ready at the moment,” the German coach stated during a press conference. “It’s a private situation. I don’t want to elaborate further. I ask for your respect regarding this matter. This is all I can and wish to say.”

Araújo joined Barcelona in 2018, initially playing for the B team before being elevated to the first team. Since then, he has made 190 appearances for Barça, scoring 12 goals, and is now a key member of the leadership group alongside Marc-André ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, and Pedri.