Barcelona are coming off an excellent victory against Aston Villa at the Spotify Camp Nou , with a brace from Raphinha and a goal from Lamine Yamal helping them secure a 3-0 win .
The Catalan club now face a demanding trip to the Metropolitano on Sunday to face Atletico Madrid in La Liga .
Hansi Flick's side have been handed a significant boost ahead of the match, with one of Diego Simeone's stars likely to miss out.
Cristian Romero missed Atletico's Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich on Tuesday due to a muscle problem.
The Argentine centre-back also faces a race against time to recover for this weekend's meeting with Barcelona.
Romero has been dealing with a muscular strain that previously forced him to miss two consecutive matches.
Romero is doubtful to face Barcelona this weekend. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Although he returned to the squad against Levante last weekend, the defender remained an unused substitute and subsequently missed training sessions ahead of the Bayern fixture.
Simeone ultimately left him out of the Champions League squad, hoping that rest would help him recover.
His participation against Barcelona seems unlikely, which is a big boost for Hansi Flick's preparations.
Cristian Romero is a World Cup winner who thrives in big games, and he is likely to pose a massive threat to any attack he faces.
Losing him would be a significant setback for Atletico against a Barcelona attack featuring Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Anthony Gordon.
The Argentine's aggression, defensive awareness and ability to dominate physical duels make him an important part of Diego Simeone's team.
Romero did not play against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
He is also a very good man-marking option, especially against someone like Raphinha, who tends to move around quite a lot.
Without him, Simeone is likely to go with Robin le Normand and David Hancko in central defence. It was the same partnership he used against Bayern.
Atletico Madrid are coming into the game after a 2-0 loss to the German giants and will be keen to secure a win against Barcelona.
They have often been a thorn in Hansi Flick's side in recent seasons, and Barcelona will be wary of their threat.
There is also the Julian Alvarez factor, which could loom large in the game given the very public transfer saga between the two teams back in the summer.
It remains to be seen whether Romero returns in time to face Barcelona this weekend and whether the Catalan club can secure another important victory.
