Xavi Hernandez will be disappointed with the news that four Barcelona players have picked up injuries during the current international break, including one star who has decided to undergo surgery.
Fans of the Catalan giants might be concerned about the fitness issues facing Xavi and company ahead of the return of club football this coming weekend, after Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay all picked up injuries.
Kounde's knock came as France beat Austria 2-0 last week, with the 23-year-old reportedly set to return to action on 15 October after sustaining an issue with his Achilles tendon.
The French defender has been key for the Blaugrana since his much-anticipated arrival from Sevilla in the recent transfer window, but will be unavailable in the coming weeks and could potentially miss both of Barca's UEFA Champions League crunch group-stage matches against Inter Milan.
Uruguayan centre-back Araujo has decided to undergo surgery that is likely to see him ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, revealing his reasons for doing so in a recent post on social media amid criticism from the public.
— Ronald Araujo (@RonaldAraujo_4) September 26, 2022
His message translates to:
"After consulting the matter with various professionals, we decided that the best thing for it is a surgical intervention. Here it is not about choosing one option or another, it is about health and returning to 100% as soon as possible. On a personal level these are difficult moments and I would like to take the chance to thank everyone for the support I was receiving. With faith and hard work I will give the best of myself to return as quickly as possible. A hug and blessings!"
It is suggested that Araujo will miss three months of football while he recovers.
Representing the Netherlands, both Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay sustained injuries in their national team's 2-0 UEFA Nations League victory over Poland last Thursday.
De Jong and Depay were named in Louis van Gaal's starting XI to take on the Polish, but were replaced at different stages in the game. It is believed their injuries are not as bad as first feared, although their return dates are still unknown for the time being.
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