Barca secured the top spot in La Liga with a 3-1 victory over Alaves, although Atletico remain just three points behind in fourth place.Pedri made his first appearance in over a month as a second-half substitute on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury.

He is expected to start against Diego Simeone's tough team, along with midfield teammate Frenkie de Jong, who missed the Alaves game due to family matters.

"I'm very pleased. The players are returning, and maybe we can raise our level. That's the most important thing," Flick said on Monday, though he confirmed that Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo will be unavailable.

The German coach has faced criticism this season for a series of poor performances, especially in high-profile matches such as the 3-0 loss to Chelsea and the 2-1 defeats against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Although leading the league, Flick admitted that Barcelona still need to improve.

"I realize we are not in the same top form as last season," he stated. "But we have potential, and we must elevate our performance."

Follow Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid live with Flashscore by clicking here