According to a report by Barca Universal on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Barcelona have received a potential boost ahead of Sunday's La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid, with defender Cristian Romero facing a race to recover from a muscular injury.

Hansi Flick's team will travel to the Metropolitano hoping to secure another important victory after producing an impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the Spotify Camp Nou.

However, Atletico Madrid could be without one of their key defensive players, as Romero remains doubtful for the encounter.

The Argentine international missed Atletico's Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich on Tuesday because of a muscle injury.

According to Barca Universal, Romero has been struggling with a muscular strain that previously kept him out of two consecutive matches.

Although the defender returned to Atletico's squad for their game against Levante last weekend, he was not brought on and remained on the bench throughout the match.

He also missed training sessions ahead of the Bayern Munich encounter, forcing manager Diego Simeone to leave him out of the Champions League squad.

His availability for Sunday's meeting with Barcelona remains uncertain, with his chances of featuring currently appearing slim.

Romero's potential absence could be a major blow to Atletico, considering his importance to Simeone's defensive system.

The World Cup-winning defender is recognised for his aggressive style, physical strength, defensive awareness and ability to win individual battles.

He is also effective in man-marking opponents, a quality that could have been valuable against Barcelona's attacking threats.

Raphinha's movement across the forward line and Lamine Yamal's ability to trouble defenders could make Romero's possible absence particularly encouraging for the Catalan side.

Barcelona also have Anthony Gordon among their attacking options, giving Flick another quality player to consider ahead of the difficult fixture.

If Romero fails to recover in time, Simeone could once again rely on Robin Le Normand and David Hancko as his central defensive partnership.

The two defenders featured together in Atletico's Champions League match against Bayern Munich and could be given another opportunity against Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Atletico will be eager to respond after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Simeone's men will be looking to return to winning ways, although facing Barcelona presents another difficult challenge.

Barcelona, meanwhile, will head to Madrid in confident mood following their convincing victory over Aston Villa.

Raphinha scored twice in the match, while Yamal also found the net to help Flick's side secure a 3-0 win.

The Catalan giants will hope to maintain their attacking momentum on Sunday as they look to strengthen their position in La Liga.

Another interesting talking point ahead of the encounter is Julian Alvarez, whose name featured prominently in transfer discussions between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid during the summer.

However, much of the attention will be on Romero's fitness and whether Simeone can have the Argentine defender available for the important meeting.

Barcelona would welcome his absence, while Atletico will be hoping he recovers in time for Sunday's clash between the two Spanish sides.