Derby incoming! This Saturday, FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol go head-to-head once again in a fixture that never fails to deliver. And this time the venue is Spotify Camp Nou.

The build-up is naturally packed with excitement and nerves, but also respect. That much was clear in the traditional pre-match meeting between the two managers ahead of the clash that kicks-off tomorrow at 6.30pm CEST.

Hansi Flick and Manolo González shared a friendly moment on the Tito Vilanova training field. Smiles all round as they posed for the media and held up the shirts of their respective sides ahead of the latest LaLiga showdown.

It’s been a packed schedule ahead of the second derby of the season. Before the managers’ handshake, Barça completed their final training session, and Flick faced the press.

While some questions touched on the derby and the starting XI for Saturday, most inevitably circled back to the Champions League quarter-final return leg.

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    Flick: 'Players focused on the derby'

    The German coach summed up perfectly what the derby means for Barça: “We’re playing at home and we want to win. We know how important this is for the club and the fans. Many of our players have come through La Masia and understand what this match represents.”

    However, there was limited talk about the opposition, with more focus on potential rotation and the upcoming clash with Atlético Madrid.

    “We have to manage players’ minutes, as always" said Flick. "There’s a lot of quality in the squad and the starting XI will be strong.”

    But he kept his cards close to his chest on team selection. On Lamine Yamal he said, “it’s good for him to start games, but I haven’t decided yet.”

    Gavi is another option: “He could start against Espanyol, but we have to take it step by step.”

    There was no clear answer on Frenkie de Jong either: “We’ll see how he feels on Saturday and then decide. I’ll be happy when he’s fully back, but for now we'll go step by step.”

    “I’m not worried about the players losing focus ahead of Atlético" continued the German. "I’ve had good feelings in training. They’re ready for Saturday. ... We have to do our job in LaLiga, but in the end the most important thing is winning the Champions League. That’s our objective.”

    He added that he is grateful to the club for lodging a formal complaint with UEFA regarding the refereeing controversy on Wednesday, but ultimately, the focus remains simple: keep winning, at home and in Europe.

    Força Barça