Barcelona optimistic about the return of Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo
Ever since the newly appointed Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has arrived at the Nou Camp, he’s been handed major problems on his plate. Whether it be injury problems or massive financial problems, the Dutchman has had it all.
Yet somehow, the coach has remained extremely calm and composed throughout the season and with the specific amount of resources he’s had on his plate he’s done a decent job so far. His team have done well in the UEFA Champions League and are currently in second place in the La Liga. The build-up seems to be on track and eventually, the Dutchman will find success.
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As of this season, the former Everton manager has had major defensive problems at the back. With major centre-backs like Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet, Gerard Pique out for most of the season.
Youngsters Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza have filled in and done a decent job but recently the Uruguayan centre-back ended up being injured too.
However, officially Pique and Araujo have not been ruled out of the Paris Saint-Germain tie which is due this week. This is an extremely important fixture for Barcelona this season and is a must-win especially when Mauricio Pochettino‘s men are without major players like Neymar and Angel di Maria.
According to Sport, Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo have recently trained with the team and have not been officially ruled out of the tie yet. However, their chances look slim.
The world cup winner was handed a major injury a few months ago and looked to be out for the rest of the season. However, he kept working towards his fitness, avoided the necessary surgery which would see him out for the year. The reports suggest that Pique has worked tirelessly to make a return and may even be in the squad for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against the Parisians.
Hence, only the arrival of the UEFA Champions League matchday this Tuesday will reveal if the two centre-backs are in line for a return or not.
What are your predicted scoreline for the clash against PSG?