The subject of great debate in Barcelona at the start of this week has been Ronald Araujo.
Following an avulsion injury suffered with Uruguay last Friday, Araujo was faced with a choice of how to treat it. Either he could have surgery, likely missing the World Cup, or follow a more conservative treatment, hoping to make it.
Araujo has since decided to have the surgery and subsequently released a statement on the matter, explaining that it was not a choice as such, rather a case of following medical advice.
Some of that advice has come to the light of day. According to Sport, Barcelona advised Araujo to look at teammate Samuel Umtiti as evidence of the consequences of avoiding surgery.
The French defender did follow conservative treatment on a knee injury in order to play the World Cup with France, which they ended up winning in 2018. Umtiti, currently on loan at Lecce, never recovered to be the same footballer though.
Since he has appeared fleetingly for Barcelona, managing just one appearance last season. The final result has been dropping down a level to find game time.
While there is a certain sense to using Umtiti as an example, it is also remarkable that Barcelona would belittle the current state of their own player, using them as an example of what Araujo does not want to become them.
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