Barcelona Welcome Key Player Back to Training With One Caveat

The Catalan giants are also working on their strategy for the January transfer window.

A huge boost to Hansi Flick’s squad. / Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo rejoined the squad for Monday’s open training session, having spent the month of December away from the club for personal reasons.

Araujo requested a leave of absence in the days that followed his sending off in the 3–0 defeat to Chelsea and was granted permission to take some time away from the team, which he used for a religious trip to Israel and a stint back in his homeland of Uruguay.

FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark

It was reported earlier this month that Araujo was due back in training on Dec. 29, and the 26-year-old stuck to that schedule with an appearance in Monday’s training.

Those initial reports stated Araujo was expected to make his return to competitive action in Barcelona’s first fixture of 2026, a trip to Espanyol on Jan. 3, but AS state no formal decision has been made just yet.

Alongside checks on his physical wellbeing, Barcelona also want to give Araujo enough time to prepare himself psychologically before his return to the public eye. Club officials have given him complete control over his timeline.

---

Araujo’s Return to Impact Barcelona’s Transfer Plans

Ronald Araujo is back in training. / Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Shortly after Araujo’s leave of absence was granted, it emerged that Barcelona were prepared to let the issue dictate their January transfer plans. Center back has been an area of concern for manager Hansi Flick ever since Iñigo Martínez’s shock departure during the summer and losing Araujo added extra pressure to the limited numbers available to Flick.

While Araujo is now back with the squad, Barcelona will await confirmation over his formal return date before deciding whether they need to find a short-term replacement for the Uruguay international.

Next. 25 Best Barcelona Players. The 25 Best Barcelona Players of All Time—Ranked. dark

Unfortunately for Barcelona, the weeks without Araujo saw Barcelona’s center-back options grow even thinner after Andreas Christensen suffered a partial ACL tear. While not as serious as a full tear, the Dane is still likely to need around four months on the sidelines.

Club officials are now already looking to sign a new center back in January regardless of Araujo’s status, but they will wait to see whether two new defenders need to arrive in the winter window.

Any January signings are expected to be short-term fixes, with Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Chelsea’s Axel Disasi among those mentioned.

---

READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

feed