FC Barcelona has been hit with a last-minute defensive crisis ahead of their La Liga showdown with Deportivo Alaves.
The Blaugrana, fresh off a humiliating Champions League defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge—where defensive lapses contributed to a heavy loss—are desperate to reclaim momentum and close the one-point gap to league leaders Real Madrid.
With an impeccable home record of 18 points from 18 possible and averaging 2.77 goals per game, Barcelona enters as heavy favorites against an Alaves side struggling offensively at 0.85 goals per match while boasting the league’s third-best defensive record.
However, this latest blow compounds concerns over squad depth at a critical juncture, forcing Hansi Flick to shuffle his backline amid title aspirations and the electric atmosphere of the returned Camp Nou fortress.
The defender in question is Ronald Araujo, Barcelona’s second captain and defensive linchpin, who skipped Thursday’s session entirely and remained in the gym Friday instead of joining the group on the pitch, as reported by Javi Miguel of AS.
The 26-year-old Uruguayan’s absence for the clash stemmed from a combination of physical niggle and mental toll from his first-half red card against Chelsea that proved costly.
Despite external criticism, the locker room rallies behind Araujo in this tough moment.
Araujo joins Fermin Lopez on the sidelines with a muscle injury, but Pedri’s return to full training offers relief, boosting midfield creativity.
Hansi Flick must now improvise, potentially elevating Inigo Martinez or Cubarsi, as Barcelona aim to extend their 16-match unbeaten streak against Alaves—last beaten by them in 2016/17.
Alaves, under Eduardo Coudet, arrive winless in two and conceding in three straight, yet vow maximum effort for a historic upset.
The Catalans eye a convincing win to rebound and assert dominance.
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