Barcelona travel to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday, November 8, knowing that their La Liga position will be under threat against Atletico Madrid.
Hansi Flick's side currently leads Diego Simeone's team by two points, making the encounter quite important in the race for the top of the table.
On that note, the Barcelona manager still has two significant selection decisions to resolve, with the right-back and left-wing positions presenting the biggest uncertainties.
While Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are expected to occupy their respective attacking positions, the competition between Brian Farinas and Eric Garcia in defence, alongside Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi in attack, could determine the final composition of Flick's starting XI.
Farinas has made an encouraging impression after being deployed outside his natural midfield position.
Will Brian Farinas start his third consecutive game for Barcelona? (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)
The academy graduate has delivered two impressive performances against Alaves and Aston Villa, giving Flick another option at right-back during a period of defensive injuries.
However, Eric Garcia's potential return complicates the decision.
The defender has missed Barcelona's last few matches with a thigh injury, but his recovery has progressed sufficiently for a possible return against Atletico.
There is a strong indication that he will return against Simeone's team, but it remains to be seen whether he will be slotted right into the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, it is important to remember that Jules Kounde could have been a direct starter, although his ankle injury makes his availability uncertain .
Anthony Gordon is likely to start over Karim Adeyemi. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The situation on the left wing appears slightly clearer, with Gordon increasingly emerging as Flick's preferred option for important fixtures.
The Englishman has been trusted in several high-profile encounters, including the Champions League meeting against PSG, El Clasico and Barcelona's trip to face Galatasaray.
Adeyemi, meanwhile, has struggled to produce consistent attacking contributions since scoring against the Turkish side last month.
That difference in involvement could influence Flick's decision, particularly against an Atletico defence that will demand quick movement and quality in one-versus-one situations.
