Barcelona will lock horns with RFEF First Division outfit CF Intercity in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 clash tomorrow in their quest to win the trophy.
Coming into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw against RCD Espanyol in a Catalan derby that has stirred up a lot of controversy, Xavi’s side will be raring to pick up a resounding win on Wednesday night.
And, ahead of the match, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo will make an appearance against Intercity, making it the first time he will be out on the pitch in three months following his injury.
Araujo picked up a serious thigh injury in September while away on international duty with Uruguay. Upon returning to the club immediately, the 23-year-old opted to undergo surgery and was ruled out of action for 2-3 months.
Despite that, the defender was named in the Uruguay squad for the FIFA World Cup 2022, but he never played in Qatar and returned to the club following the South American nation’s elimination at the group stage.
Having worked hard to push his recovery, Araujo received his green light from the club’s medical staff last week and was in the squad for the derby against Espanyol, although he did not make an appearance.
But that is likely to change on Wednesday as Araujo is expected to play some part against Intercity in the cup tie, either as a starter or a substitute.
The Uruguayan international’s return comes as a boost for Barcelona. The centre-back had been in top form prior to his injury and had established himself as the leader of the club’s defensive unit.
Having spent a long time out on the sidelines, it will be interesting to see how Araujo fares on his return to action.