AS: Rodri unlikely to play against Atletico Madrid, Garcia, Christensen and Kounde set to return

Rodri is unlikely to be fit for Sunday's match against Atletico Madrid, according to AS. Flick hopes Eric Garcia, Christensen and Kounde will return.

After the Aston Villa match, the initial assessment of Rodri's condition was that extreme caution is needed. The Spain international had to be substituted in the second half after feeling discomfort in his right hamstring. If Wednesday's examination confirms the injury, he will almost certainly miss Sunday's match against Atletico Madrid.

If he were forced to play, he would risk a more serious injury, so all signs indicate that Flick will not take the risk and Rodri will be one of the absentees for the next match. His natural replacement will be Bernal, who has made a strong start to the season and brought significant technical and physical contributions to the team.

De Jong and even Gavi are also options for the defensive midfield position, and they are gradually being integrated into the team. However, it is not all bad news on the Barcelona injury front. Initially, it appears Flick could welcome back three players for the Atletico Madrid match. Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are both close to recovery, while Kounde was even expected to be fit for El Clasico, but complications after twisting his left ankle have slowed his recovery.