Uruguay manager Diego Alonso has included Barcelona star Ronald Araujo in the provisional squad that he has named for the 2022 World Cup.
The squad list, which contains as many as 56 players, will be whittled down to 26 in time for the tournament in Qatar.
Recall that Araujo’s injury during Uruguay’s international friendly against Iran last month came as a bitter blow to both his club and country.
The 23-year-old has firmly established himself as a mainstay in the heart of the Barça defence and had started the season like a house on fire. He was also seen as an integral part of Uruguay’s plans ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
But the hamstring injury and the subsequent surgery meant that Araujo was sidelined for close to three months at the very least.
Despite that, Uruguay are still carrying the hope that the defender can return in time for the quadrennial event that will kick off next month in Qatar.
