Ronald Araujo defends decision to undergo surgery ahead of World Cup

Forum 1 year ago

Ronald Araujo defends decision to undergo surgery ahead of World Cup

Ronald Araujo has defended his decision to opt for surgery on his thigh, following criticism of the decision by Uruguay fans.

The Barcelona centre-back is set to miss the FIFA World Cup this winter, with surgery meaning Araujo will require three months on the sidelines to fully recover. This lengthy lay-off has irritated people in Uruguay as their national team will be without one of their starting players for the tournament in Qatar.

Addressing the criticism on Twitter, Araujo stated: “I want to make clear the reasons for which I took my decision, in order to avoid speculation.

“I love my country and I love my national team.

“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!”

Uruguay will face off against South Korea, Portugal and Ghana in Group H at the World Cup this winter.