rodri
Without a doubt, the biggest match of the football weekend will take place in the Spanish capital city of Madrid. Second place Atletico Madrid hosts top of the table FC Barcelona, and if they visitors fall on Sunday, you will see a new first place team. Given that, no more hype need be added in the preview of this one. Let’s cover the team news, for both sides, starting with Rodri, who suffered a hamstring injury in the midweek 3-0 win over Aston Villa, and is ruled out of this one.
FC Barcelona at Atletico Madrid
rodri spain
rodri spain
Kickoff: Sunday 9pm, November 8, Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
La Liga Standing: Atletico Madrid 2nd, 28 pts, Barca 1st, 30 pts
La Liga Form: Atletico Madrid WWWWW Barca WWWLW
Result Probability: Atletico Madrid 25% Draw 22% Barca 53%
Team News for Both Sides
atletico madrid
atletico madrid
According to the official club statement on Rodri: “the tests have confirmed a minor injury to his right hamstring…his exact recovery time will depend on how the injury develops.”
And while the injury to Rodri is considered minor, obviously he will miss out on the FIFA window with Spain as well.
Elsewhere for Barcelona, Andreas Christensen (thigh), Eric Garcia (thigh) and Jules Kounde (ankle) are all in the same boat here.
eric garcia
eric garcia
They will all need to pass late fitness tests on matchday, in order to make the squad. And then of course, you have the long-standing injured Blaugranes contingent, which, like the doubts category, is three names long.
Xavi Espart (ankle), Dani Olmo (adductor) and Roony Bardghji (knee) will all miss out here.
Moving on to Atletico, Morten Hjulmand will return from injury and come back into the squad here.
atletico
Meanwhile Johnny Cardoso (thigh injury) and Cristian Romero (muscular injury) remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor ofThe Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.