Barcelona's Flick Relieved as Players Return for Atletico Madrid Showdown

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed his relief at regaining several injured squad members in time for the vital Tuesday meeting with Atletico Madrid.

Following their 3-1 triumph over Alaves on Saturday, Barca now lead La Liga, though fourth-placed Atletico remain just three points adrift.

Pedri marked his comeback to the starting lineup as a replacement in the latter stages on Saturday, having been sidelined for more than a month due to a hamstring injury.

He remains set to feature from the outset versus Diego Simeone's tough team, joined by teammate Frenkie de Jong in midfield, who skipped the Alaves game owing to family commitments.

"I feel very pleased. As players return, we could boost our performance. This matters most," Flick commented on Monday, while noting that Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo will be absent.

The German coach has endured criticism this term for numerous poor outings, especially in key encounters, including a 3-0 loss to Chelsea and 2-1 setbacks against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Although leading the league, Flick accepts that Barca must step up their game.

"I understand we lack the peak condition of last season," he added. "However, we hold promise. We need to lift our standards."