Barcelona play Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on Saturday at 21:00 CEST, on the seventh matchday of La Liga and in the last fixture before the international break.

They arrive with the only perfect record left in the division. Six matches, six wins, 18 points and a goal difference of +22, three points clear of Real Madrid. Sevilla are on 13 points, so five points is the whole distance between the league leaders and the side hosting them.

Barcelona beat Racing Santander 7-2 on Wednesday, and the club said every available player took part in Thursday's recovery session. Hansi Flick has had two clear days to prepare.

Sevilla have lost once in six

Luis García Plaza's team have won four, drawn one and lost one, with a goal difference of +3. That is the strongest start of any side outside the two Madrid clubs and Betis.

Joan Garcia stays behind

Joan Garcia was replaced at half-time against Racing, and Barcelona then said the goalkeeper had discomfort in his right knee and that "His evolution will determine his return." On Friday he did not train with the group and will not travel to Sevilla, according to the EFE report of Hansi Flick's press conference. Flick said Garcia had agreed with the club's medical staff to rest and recover over the coming weeks, and the goalkeeper is not in Spain's squad for the Nations League. His injury has been the team-news thread of the week.

That points to Wojciech Szczęsny, who replaced Garcia on Wednesday. Flick said of the other option, Dominik Livakovic, that he is still adapting to the way Barcelona play, and that the question is who is ready and what is best for the team.

Flick expects a one-against-one game

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Flick warned about the hosts, who he said play very well and defend individually at their own ground.

It is important that we play with confidence. It is important that we are able to control the game against a team that plays one against one. We have to move the ball from one side to the other.

Hansi Flick, speaking at his pre-match press conference, in remarks reported by EFE and translated from Spanish

Sevilla have a longer absence list

Goal reported on Thursday that Sevilla's medical staff have diagnosed the striker Lucas Stassin with a myofascial injury to the adductor longus in his right leg, sustained against Deportivo La Coruña, and that no return date has been set. The same report says he will miss Saturday's game. According to the same report, Vargas, Sánchez and Marcão are also unavailable, and the defender Kike Salas, who took a knock at the Riazor, was due to train on his own on Friday to establish whether he can be considered.

What Saturday settles

A Barcelona win takes them to 21 points from seven matches and into the break with the record intact. A Sevilla win cuts the gap between the two to two points and ends the only perfect record in the division. Kick-off is 21:00 CEST at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.