Barça spring a surprise with Ronald Araújo and the locker room celebrates the decision

Ronald Araújo is the main protagonist of current Barça news in recent weeks. We must remember that, after his sending-off in the Champions League against Chelsea, the Uruguayan defender has disappeared from Flick's plans. Araújo admitted in private that he did not feel mentally strong enough to continue and that he needed to stop in order to recover the confidence he had lost.

This was a request to which Flick, Deco, Laporta, and the locker room reacted by showing their unconditional support. In a club like FC Barcelona, where the demands are brutal and the media noise never stops, protecting the player is also a way of competing. In Araújo's case, the decision was clear: the person first, then the footballer.

Since then, more than a month has already passed and we still have not seen Ronald Araújo on the field. Despite the lack of available players in defense, Flick has not wanted to overwhelm the Uruguayan with urgency and has allowed him to take the time that he has considered necessary. This management is not common in elite soccer, where haste devours everything, but the Catalan club understands that a rushed return could be worse than waiting.

FC Barcelona give the surprise with Ronald Araújo

However, in recent hours an event has occurred that could change everything. Ronald Araújo has traveled with the rest of the group to Saudi Arabia to play the Spanish Super Cup. The news has been received as a surprise, because until very recently the silence around his situation was absolute and it seemed that the return was still far away.

In principle, Flick's idea is that Araújo will start to rejoin the group dynamic little by little, without forcing his return to the field. The German coach understands that the first step is not to play, but to once again feel part of the group, to recover routines, and to remove the mental weight left by such a tough episode. As we have said, the defender himself will set the pace, and the club is willing to respect it.

However, his teammates are delighted with his return and they will surely try to convince him to get back on the field as soon as possible. Ronald Araújo is a silent but very influential leader, and his absence is noticeable even on an emotional level.  In addition, Flick is surely delighted with his presence on the trip.

We will see whether his return will come during the Super Cup or whether we will have to wait a little longer. The tournament is short and demanding, and every minute must be earned with real sensations, not with desire. For now, the fact that he has traveled with the rest of the group is already a very good sign, because it means that Ronald Araújo is once again facing soccer head-on.