Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo will undergo surgery on a thigh injury, according to Ferran Martínez of Mundo Deportivo.
Araújo will probably be operated on next Thursday at the Neo Hospital in Turku (Finland) by Dr Lasse Lempainen. The injury was picked up in his right leg in Friday’s match between Uruguay and Iran in Sankt Pölten (Austria).
Early reports suggest that Araújo will be out for more than two and a half months due to the surgery and could now miss the World Cup with Uruguay. The Uruguayan coach, Diego Alonso, told him during their conversation yesterday that he will wait for him until the last minute in a bid to have him available at the World Cup in Qatar.
Uruguay, who are in Group H, begin their campaign against South Korea on 24 November and then face Portugal on 28 November and Ghana on 2 December. Araújo knows he runs the risk of missing out on his first World Cup but has decided to go ahead with the operation.
Barcelona are soon expected to announce the decision to go ahead with the surgery on the defender, which will be a major blow for Xavi Hernández.
GSFN
