Flick’s plan to reintegrate Barcelona heavyweight into squad after extended absence

One of the main stories surrounding FC Barcelona at the start of this week has been the return of Ronald Araujo to training.

The defensive heavyweight had been absent for the past month, during which he undertook a spiritual retreat in Israel after asking the club for time to disconnect and recover mentally, as he felt unable to perform at his best on the pitch.

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After this break, the Uruguayan international was seen again with his teammates in the open training session held on Monday afternoon at Estadi Johan Cruyff, as Barcelona started preparations for the Catalan derby vs Espanyol.

Hansi Flick’s plan for Araujo

Now, according to SPORT, Hansi Flick plans to hold a private conversation with Araujo in order to learn first-hand how he is feeling.

The discussion will cover how the month-long break has affected him mentally and how he has felt physically during these first training sessions.

This comes after he trained fully with the group once more today and is expected to continue doing so throughout the rest of the week.

Ronald Araujo could return to action this week. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

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As such, everything suggests that the feedback received by the German coach will be positive, meaning that the Barcelona defender could be included in the squad for Saturday’s derby against Espanyol.

Flick’s intention is for Araujo to return fully to first-team dynamics. For that reason, the option of including him in the squad travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup is also being considered.

If there are no setbacks in his recovery and no relapses, the Uruguayan could be tested either against Espanyol or against Athletic Club in the semi-finals of the tournament.

The recent injury to Andreas Christensen, sidelining him for four months, has complicated matters for Barcelona.

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So, how the situation develops in the coming days remains to be seen, as Araujo’s condition will influence whether Barcelona seriously consider pursuing the loan signing of a new centre-back in January.