Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo Sources revealed to ESPN that he will undergo surgery this week on his right thigh and risk missing out on the World Cup.
The Uruguay the international was injured in the opening minutes of his country’s 0-1 loss to Iran in a friendly on Friday.
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Araujo returned to Barcelona and tests performed confirmed damage to his patellar tendon.
Barca said in a statement: “First-team player Ronald Araujo will undergo surgery on Wednesday to remove a degenerative patellar tendon injury in his right thigh. The surgery will be carried out by Dr. Lasse Lempainen, below. under the supervision of the Club’s medical staff, in Turku, Finland. When the operation is completed there will be another medical declaration.”
The 23-year-old was reluctant to undergo surgery with the World Cup less than two months away, but after speaking with Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez and club doctor Ricardo Pruna on Monday morning, the player decided to have surgery.
By undergoing surgery, there is less chance of recurrence. However, it will take longer to recover if Araujo chooses conservative treatment.
The Barcelona midfielder defended his decision to have thigh surgery in a statement posted on Twitter.
“After consulting with several doctors, we decided that surgery was the best option,” he wrote.
“I love my country and I love my national team. It’s not about choosing one or the other, it’s about being healthy and showing 100% as soon as possible. Personally, this is this. These are tough moments and I want to say thank you to everyone for all the support I’ve received.”
Among the games Araujo will miss is the tournament Clasico against Real Madrid on October 16.
Araujo will undergo surgery on Wednesday in Turku, Finland, with renowned surgeon Dr Lasse Lempainen under the supervision of the club’s medical services, who previously had the surgery. for Barcelona Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto.
Once the surgery is complete, Barcelona and Araujo will have a better understanding of the recovery time. However, he will most likely be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks.
Uruguay kicks off their World Cup campaign on 24 November with south Korea.
