Barcelona defender insisted on being included in the squad list for the clash against Osasuna – Report | OneFootball

Up next for FC Barcelona is a massive clash in La Liga against CA Osasuna at the Montjuic Stadium. A game that the Catalan giants simply cannot afford to lose, it will require a lot of willpower to get through. Unfortunately for Barcelona, the scheduling of the game leaves them in an awkward position.

Basically taking place right after an exhaustive international break, the Osasuna clash is one that La Blaugrana will not be looking forward to. Hansi Flick even recently criticized this current way of organizing games without taking into consideration the health of the players, and was even worried about having to play without some key players.

However, with the official squad list now out, there is a rather significant surprise. While Raphinha is still not included as he continues to recover from a demanding international break and quick flight back to Barcelona, Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo has still made the final squad list.

Despite having to play for his country just recently and then having to take two connecting flights to reach Barcelona as soon as possible, it is clear enough to see that the 26-year-old player must be exhausted. However, it seems that it was his own insistence that led to his inclusion.

As revealed by Mundo Deportivo, the South American defender asked Hansi Flick to add him to the final squad list for this important league encounter. Initially not included in the early draft of the squad list, his insistence has now resulted in the Barcelona coach including him as well.

The reason behind this, at least from the player’s perspective, is that he reportedly believes that he is fresh and has rested enough to play a part in this game. After having featured for Uruguay against Argentina, he remained on the bench for the entirety of the game against Bolivia and that gave him plenty of time to recharge his batteries.

Now, despite the exhaustive nature of the travel and procedures related to returning back to Barcelona, Araujo remains fully committed to the cause. Unlike Raphinha, who did have to play in Brazil’s second game against Argentina, the Uruguayan centre-back will be ready for selection.

While it seems highly unlikely that he will end up starting for the team, as Hansi Flick will most probably trust Inigo Martinez and Eric Garcia to start, Araujo’s presence is still a welcome bonus. It now remains to be seen if he is involved in the game to any extent.