Araujo returns from summer break; joins in with pre-season training
The Uruguayan centre back has started pre-season training and will travel with his team mates to the training camp in Germany
Ronald Araujo has returned from his summer break and joined in with Barça's pre-season training. The first team squad trained on pitch 2 of the Joan Gamper Training Ground on Monday morning.
The Uruguayan centre back, who had been training individually at the facilities of Club Atlético Rentistas in his native Uruguay, has enjoyed a few days of rest following his involvement in this summer's Copa América.
The defender will face lots of competition for his place in what he hopes will be his breakthrough season in the first team. If he remains injury-free, we can assume that Gerard Piqué will remain a guaranteed starter. This means that the other centre back position will need to be filled by either new signing Eric García or Araujo himself. Umtiti will probably leave the club, even if only on loan. Clement Lenglet, meanwhile, finds himself down the pecking order following a disappointing campaign.
Five players are yet to return
On Wednesday, Araujo will fly with the squad to Germany for a pre-season training camp ahead of a friendly against Stuttgart on Saturday. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are also expected to join the group in the camp following their participation in the European Championships this summer.
Pedri, Mingueza and Eric García, who are representing Spain at the Olympics, will join the squad later. The last to arrive will be those who played in the Copa América final: Aguero, Messi and Emerson Royal. These three are expected to return to training on 2 August.
