Araujo’s return date to Barcelona revealed

Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo returned to training on Wednesday after a brief break. The Uruguayan defender now has a clear target for his return to the pitch.

Following his red card against Chelsea earlier this month and the ensuing backlash, Araújo missed the weekend’s match against Alavés. The 26-year-old then requested a temporary break to regain his composure, and the club granted him an indefinite period of rest.

After returning to training on Wednesday, Marca reports that Araújo has set a target date for his return to the matchday squad. That is expected to be the Catalan derby on January 3, when Barcelona travel to face Espanyol in their first match after the winter break.

The Blaugrana will play their final match of 2025 against Villarreal on Sunday, meaning Araújo will have four training sessions before Barcelona’s squad goes on a week-long break. Hansi Flick’s team will return to training on December 29 to prepare for the match five days later, although Araújo may decide to continue individual training to reach optimal form.

During the break, Araújo made a religious pilgrimage to Israel, where he visited Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but has now set a training schedule with the club to get back to his best. During the Christmas break, he intends to travel to Uruguay to spend the holidays with his family, but remains focused on getting back on the pitch as soon as possible, feeling that he is now ready to play again.

Flick may decide to gradually bring Araújo back into the game, but the Espanyol clash is expected to be a tough one, not only because of the fiery atmosphere of the derby, but also because Los Pericos are among the best-performing teams in Spain. After that, Barcelona travel to Saudi Arabia to face Athletic Club in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup and, potentially, one of Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid in the final. The Catalans then return to action in the Copa del Rey, with an away match the following week.