"It’s always worrying" - Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong comments on Ronald Araujo's nasty injury
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has admitted that he was worried after seeing Ronald Araujo sustain an injury and wished for his teammate's swift recovery.
Barca welcomed Celta Vigo to the Camp Nou for their La Liga matchday 36 fixture on Tuesday night (10 May). Courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's brace and a Memphis Depay goal, Barcelona found themselves 3-0 up at one point.
Celta’s ever-reliable forward Iago Aspas pulled one back in the 50th minute but could not influence a turnaround. Jeison Murillo’s professional foul on Depay got him sent off in the 58th minute, which practically killed the visitors' hopes of mounting a comeback.
Get well soon @RonaldAraujo_4 🙏 https://t.co/O8sv1CTy1i
Unfortunately, the biggest talking point of the 3-1 win did not revolve around the performances of the Barca stars. It was about the injury Araujo sustained in the 62nd minute. He was involved in an accidental clash of heads with his teammate Gavi and suffered a heavy concussion. The Uruguayan tried to carry on, but he soon collapsed on the pitch, prompting an ambulance to come in and take him to the hospital.
De Jong, who was on the pitch when it happened, witnessed the whole thing and admitted that it was worrying to see Araujo collapse. Speaking after the match (via Barca Universal), he said:
“We just heard that Araujo is okay… Hopefully he can return to the training pitch soon. It’s always worrying when a player is down.”
As per Xavi, Araujo is currently stable and out of danger (via Barca Blaugranes). He spent the night at the hospital, being monitored by doctors for any other developments.
Frenkie de Jong thrives in a double pivot role for Barcelona
Against Celta, Barcelona boss Xavi decided to opt for a double-pivot system. De Jong was paired up with Gavi at the base of the midfield, allowing the Dutchman to play in his preferred position.
He produced a confident performance in the middle of the park, impressing the on-lookers with his passing range and movement.
A win at camp nou feels always good😁 https://t.co/YUzC3aHlsi
Over the course of the match, the former Ajax midfielder accurately delivered all six of his attempted long balls and completed 81 of his 86 passes. He also played a key pass, won three ground duels, and attempted three tackles.
Also Read: Ranking Barcelona's 5 best players against Celta Vigo | La Liga 2021-22