Defender’s spell at Parkhead and World Cup spot under threat after return to English Premier League for treatment on muscle injury
Martin O’Neill has confirmed that on loan Celtic defender Julian Araujo has gone back to his parent club AFC Bournemouth for treatment on a thigh injury - raising doubts over the possibility of him earning a permanent deal.
Araujo sat out of back-to-back Scottish Premiership games against Motherwell and Dundee United in recent weeks, but it was revealed on Sunday that the nature of the injury has forced him to return to the Vitality Stadium to undergo his rehab.
While concerns have been heightened over his potential availability between now and the end of the campaign, Celtic fans have every right to be fearing the worst after watching their team’s title bid stall drastically at Tannadice on Sunday.
“Julian’s missing. He’s down getting treatment and being rehabbed at Bournemouth,” O’Neill said. “He felt very very tight after Sunday’s [Old Firm Scottish Cup] game. He’s just felt a little bit in the thigh so, there’s no point in risking it. We’ll just leave him for today.”
Quizzed on the prospect of the former Barcelona youth player returning to Glasgow’s east end after the international break, O’Neill stated: “I'm not sure. I'm not sure when he’ll be back, but the extra two weeks could help.”
Araujo injury will come as a shuddering blow to Celtic
Despite his relatively short stint at Celtic, the ever-reliable Araujo has made a lasting impression on supporters who are now clamouring for the club’s hierarchy to cough up a substantial fee that could lure him to return north of the border in the summer.
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His injury setback has also impacted his opportunity to represent his country this month, having been under consideration for the upcoming friendlies against Portugal and Belgium. With a World Cup being stages in his homeland, Araujo will now know the odds are stacked firmly against him to force his way back into the reckoning.
Araujo’s future is bright and will continue to remain that way despite this latest hiccup, but his recovery will be crucial to maintaining the momentum he has built up since the turn of the year after starting games ahead of fellow right-sided defenders Colby Donovan and Anthony Ralston.
Celtic don’t play next weekend due to the international window and are next in action against Dundee at Dens Park in a fortnight’s time. O’Neill can only hope that an extended break will give Araujo enough time to complete his rehab and return fit and ready for the final run-in of games.
As for the possibility of him returning to Celtic on a permanent basis, that appears far less straightforward with the player’s current earning at Bournemouth emerging as a significant financial hurdle to overcome.
It’s thought Araujo pockets an estimated £65,000-£70,000 a week at the Cherries, which are figures far beyond the Scottish champions wage structure. So while there is growing enthusiasm among fans to retain the full-back, the financial realities of that happening seem unlikely at this stage.
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