Barcelona has given defender Ronald Araújo some time off as he works through mental health challenges that have affected his performance this season, according to a source that spoke to ESPN.
Araújo, who is 26 years old, has participated in 15 matches for Barça across all competitions this season, with his most recent appearance ending in a red card during last week’s 3-0 Champions League loss against Chelsea.
He also missed the weekend’s 3-1 victory against Alavés, with the club initially stating that he was suffering from a stomach illness.
However, ahead of Tuesday’s LaLiga match against Atlético Madrid, Barça coach Hansi Flick mentioned that the Uruguayan international is facing some personal matters.
A source clarified to ESPN that while Araújo is physically fit, he has been grappling with mental struggles for some time and has asked the club for a break to recover.
The ESPN insider aimed to clarify the context to prevent any misinterpretation of Flick’s earlier comments on Monday.
“Ronald is not ready at this moment,” the German coach stated in a press conference.
“It’s a private matter. I don’t want to elaborate further. Please respect that. This is all I can say.”
Araújo joined Barcelona in 2018, initially playing for the B team before advancing to the first team.
He has since made 190 appearances for Barça across all competitions, netting 12 goals, and is now part of the team’s leadership group alongside Marc-André ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, and Pedri.