Ronald Araujo will not be available against Espanyol and is aiming for the Super Cup

FC Barcelona visits RCD Espanyol this Saturday at Cornellà-El Prat (21:00 CEST), with Ronald Araujo still out of the squad. Hansi Flick confirmed the absence of the Uruguayan, who has not played in the league since November 22, when he came on at halftime in the thrashing against Athletic (4-0).

Three days later, the 'charrúa' was sent off in the defeat against Chelsea (3-0). He was subsequently removed from the squad, first due to stomach problems and then for a leave requested by the player himself. The center-back suffered a significant emotional downturn after the red card at Stamford Bridge and took a trip to Jerusalem before spending Christmas with his family in Uruguay.

After the holidays, Ronald returned to training with the squad this week, but he still lacks the necessary competitive rhythm to play. In this regard, Flick himself was clear about how the staff and the center-back will manage his recovery in the coming weeks.

When will Ronald Araujo play for Barça again?

"**Physically, he's not at one hundred percent**. He has to decide when to play again. He has spoken with the rest of his teammates, who support him. **He's back and he's important to us. He'll take the time he needs**," the Barça coach explained about the 26-year-old defender's current situation.

In principle, Araujo could be available for the Spanish Super Cup next week, provided he continues to train at full capacity in the coming days. The Barça expedition will depart for Arabia on Tuesday to face Athletic in the first semifinal on Wednesday, January 7th, in Jeddah.

The Catalans defend the title obtained in the previous edition against Real Madrid (2-5), where Ronald was a substitute in both matches. The Uruguayan, however, played 62 minutes in the final against the 'merengues' after coming on in the first half for the injured Iñigo Martínez.

So far in 25/26, the second Blaugrana captain has scored a couple of goals and provided the same number of assists in 15 games (9 starts) and a total of 886 minutes of action. Despite Iñigo's departure in the summer, the '4' has not managed to regain his starting position, but he is confident of recovering the lost prominence in the decisive stretch of 25/26

FC Barcelona's January 2026 Calendar