By SABC Sport
14th July 2024
Barcelona fear Ronald Araujo will be banned by FIFA on top of injury blow
Following the Copa America 2024 semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia, Uruguayan players, including Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez, were involved in a confrontation with Colombia supporters in the stands.
Barcelona fear that Araujo could face a ban from FIFA for his involvement. If FIFA steps in, the ban could extend to club matches, impacting Barcelona.
Araujo is also dealing with a hamstring injury sustained during international duty. He is set to return to Barcelona for medical tests to determine the severity of the injury. Early indications suggest he might miss the opening matches of the 2024-25 season.
CONMEBOL is currently investigating the incident. If FIFA does not intervene, any suspension for Araujo is likely to be limited to international matches, which would spare his club commitments.
Barcelona will be monitoring both the disciplinary investigation and Araujo's medical evaluation closely, as both could significantly impact their plans for the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, the Catalans are anxious to find out how long the centre-back will be out for as the Uruguayan football association have not given any sort of prognosis as of yet.