Following their wins against Alaves and Aston Villa, FC Barcelona are once again set to face a difficult match as they will be visiting the Spanish capital to face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano. The Colchoneros are currently standing second in the league table, only two points behind the Blaugranes, and thus, both the sides will be looking to win on Sunday and end the matchday at the top of the table.
This will be quite a complicated game for the Catalans for several reasons. They will be playing at Atletico’s stadium, which means the hosts will have a clear advantage. Similarly, Diego Simeone’s side had eliminated them from both the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey last season, and thus, this will be a tightly-contested match.
Hansi Flick will also be without several important players for this game, including the likes of Xavi Espart, Jules Kounde, and Rodri Hernandez. However, there is also some good news for the German coach ahead of this match.
As [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261107/1004248286/flick-llega-metropolitano-dos-refuerzos-incognita-once.html) has noted, the Barcelona manager confirmed in [his press conference ahead of this game](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/hansi-flick-talks-eric-garica-christensen-kounde-alvarez-ahead-of-atletico-madrid-vs-barcelona/) that two defenders, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen, would be available for the game on Sunday. In fact, he hinted that Eric Garcia can even start this game.
On the other hand, he also confirmed that Jules Kounde has not yet recovered, and might not be able to play for the Blaugrana side before the end of the next international break.
After his injury during the game against Aston Villa, Rodri Hernandez will also not be able to play against Atletico Madrid. However, Flick has not yet decided on his replacement, with Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal likely to take his spot in the starting lineup, while Gavi could be yet another option for this role.