Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has been granted a leave of absence to prioritise his mental health, the Spanish club has announced.
Araujo is receiving professional support and treatment, and has requested a few days off to “take care of himself emotionally”.
“He has our full support. The entire club, team-mates and staff are with him and we look forward to having him back,” Barcelona said in a statement.
Araujo’s most recent appearance for Barca was in last week’s 3-0 defeat by Chelsea in the Champions League, where he received two bookings and was sent off in the 44th minute.
Ronald Araujo is shown a red card and sent off for a tackle on Marc Cucurella during Barcelona’s match against Chelsea. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)
The Uruguay international was not part of Barca’s squad for their 3-1 home win over Alaves on Saturday. His representatives held discussions with club sporting director Deco on Monday and both parties reached a conclusion.
According to The Athletic, Deco granted the 28-year-old’s wish to step away from football as the club remains committed to giving him the time he needs.
While refusing to go into detail as to why Araujo requested a period of absence, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Atletico Madrid: “It is a private situation, I don’t want to say more. And please, if you can respect it I’d appreciate it.”
Flick’s comments came after Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Araujo had been treated unfairly in recent weeks and that the club were “behind him”.
Speaking at an event in Andorra on Friday, Laporta said: “He has been heavily criticised, and I don’t think that’s fair. He gives his all on the pitch, he’s our captain, and now he needs to get through this difficult period because he’s a very emotional person with strong feelings.
“He’s had a tough time, and I want to tell him that we’re behind him, that he needs to turn the page because here we all win and we all lose, and no one person is responsible for defeats or victories.”
Currently top of the table with just a point lead, Barcelona are gearing up for a highly-anticipated fixture with Atletico in what will be just their third match at the renovated Camp Nou.
