Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has undergone scans on a suspected thigh injury suffered during Tuesday night’s Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Barca fell to a single goal from Shakhtar’s Danylo Sikan on neutral soil in Germany, having dominated possession but failing to muster more than one shot on target over the course of the game.
Araujo played the whole match but appeared to be in discomfort towards the end. Xavi made five substitutions in the second half, looking to change something that would get his team back into the game. Only four had been made at the time, but Araujo opted to stay on until the final whistle.
Marca has reported that tests were scheduled for the Uruguayan on Wednesday. There is said to be optimism within the Barca camp that Araujo does not have a serious problem and will be available for selection by the time Xavi is picking a team to face Alaves at their temporary home on Sunday.
Jules Kounde was an unused substitute against Shakhtar and would be the obvious choice to come into the team for the weekend if Araujo is not fully fit in time.
Back from Hamburg, the rest of the available Barca squad reported to training at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Wednesday afternoon for a recovery session.
Xavi didn’t pull any punches in his assessment of Tuesday’s game.
“The level of our performances is really low at the moment,” he said afterwards.
“This was one of the worst games of my two years in charge. We have to be self-critical. There was a reaction in the second half but it wasn’t enough. This competition demands your best and we were not at it. It is clear a step back.
“We are angry. Confidence has dropped, we are in a bit of a rut and we need a reset.”
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90Mins
