Barcelona to be without Rodri for Atletico showdown due to injury

Tough news for Barcelona right in the most demanding week of the calendar. Rodri will miss this Sunday's clash against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano due to a right hamstring injury, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The Spanish midfielder was substituted at halftime in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Champions League, and tests carried out the following day at the training ground confirmed the worst fears: a "mild injury to the right hamstring," according to the Barca medical report. Still enough, though, to rule him out of a match that could decide the top spot in LaLiga.

The curious part is that Barcelona has not yet set a return date. And that's where the calendar gets even trickier, since right after this weekend comes a break for international fixtures. Spain faces Czechia on November 12 and England on the 15th, with head coach Luis de la Fuente set to announce his squad this Friday. If Rodri doesn't make that list, his return will most likely be pushed back to November 22, when Barcelona hosts Villarreal in LaLiga.

The absence stings because Rodri had all but claimed the starting job without having to ask. Since arriving from Manchester City over the summer, the midfielder has racked up 14 appearances across all competitions this season and already has a goal to his name, establishing himself as a fixture in Barca's setup.

The defense starts to catch a break

While the midfield loses a key man, there's more encouraging news at the back. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen trained normally on Wednesday and are nearing their return, just in time for the trip to the Metropolitano. Jules Kounde isn't so lucky, as he has yet to join full team training following his ankle injury. Also unavailable are Xavi Espart, out for the rest of the year, along with Dani Olmo and Roony Bardghji, who remain on the injury list.

The context makes this match weigh even heavier. Barcelona arrives having shaken off back to back losses to PSG and Real Madrid, answering with authority by thrashing Alaves and then Aston Villa itself in Europe. Now they face an Atletico side unbeaten in LaLiga since falling to Athletic Club back in September, a run of seven straight wins for Diego Simeone's team.

The race at the top is razor tight. Barcelona heads to the Metropolitano with 30 points through 11 matchdays, two more than Atletico. Real Madrid, who visit Valencia on Saturday, sit just one point behind the Colchoneros. It's a perfect setup for a November Sunday to change everything, right as Barcelona has to face it without one of its most reliable pieces.