Barcelona defender Araujo to miss Uruguay World Cup qualifiers

MONTEVIDEO - Barcelona and Uruguay international center-back Ronald Araujo has been cut from the Celeste squad for World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Brazil because of a hamstring tear, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said on Thursday.

Araujo sustained the injury during Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League victory over Juventus in Turin on Wednesday.

The AUF did not name a replacement for the 21-year-old in a statement confirming his omission.

Uruguay faces Colombia in Barranquilla on November 13 and Brazil in Montevideo four days later.

Oscar Tabarez's men are currently sixth in the 10-team South American zone qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Celeste beat Chile 2-1 and lost to Ecuador 4-1 in their opening two matches of the CONMEBOL tournament earlier this month.