Barcelona star absent from training ahead of Rayo clash | OneFootball

A headline member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona was again absent from training alongside the rest of the club’s squad on Friday.

The player in question? Ronald Araújo.

Stopper Araújo, for his part, has been forced to sit out each of Barcelona’s last two outings.

As much comes owing to a knee issue, which boss Xavi earlier this week described as little more than a ‘small, unimportant annoyance’.

And yet, upon Barca’s return to La Liga action against Almería on Thursday night, the Uruguayan, once again, was nowhere to be seen.

Araújo was actually spotted back in training in the buildup to the clash, taking to the grass with his knee wrapped in bandage on Wednesday morning.

But, upon Xavi’s stars seeing out their recovery session on the back of last night’s 2-0 victory at the Power Horse Stadium, as confirmed by Mundo Deportivo, Araújo was absent once more.

His status for the Blaugrana’s meeting with Rayo Vallecano this coming Sunday, as a result, is considered to be up in the air.

Conor Laird | GSFN