Barcelona’s coach Luis Enrique reacts during the match against AS Roma in their Champions League Group E match at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Italy.

DPA/Madrid


Barcelona and Real Madrid have their minds on the November 21 Clasico in the Spanish capital but first come another league round and an international break.
The twin giants are neck and neck atop La Liga, taking 24 points apiece into Sunday dates with Villarreal and Sevilla respectively. But both also have to deal with untimely injury problems.
Barca’s latest injury victim is Ivan Rakitic, who pulled a muscle in his right leg in Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League win over BATE Borisov.
Coach Luis Enrique appeared to be planning a 4-4-2 formation for the Madrid trip, with just Luis Suarez and Neymar upfield in the most likely absence of injured Lionel Messi.
Now Rakitic’s mishap has put his plans in jeopardy.  
Luckily for Luis Enrique, Suarez and Neymar are in such formidable form that Messi is hardly being missed - at least by the fans who have seen the pair have scored 17 of the 20 goals, according to UEFA, since Messi limped off with a knee injury in September.
“I, for one, am certainly missing Leo,” Neymar said after scoring twice against BATE. “What has happened is that Luis and I are both in good form and scoring freely. But of course we miss Leo - he is the best player in the world, after all.”
The other good news for Luis Enrique is the return to fitness of captain Andres Iniesta, who said “I am pleased with my return, my sensations are positive.”
Villarreal are fifth, four points behind Barca and Real. Coach Marcelino Garcia is planning to field a reserve-packed team in the Europa League Thursday at Dynamo Minsk.
Real go to Seville without injury victims Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema - though Gareth Bale might be fit.
To add intrigue to injury, Benzema was reportedly arrested in France Wednesday for his alleged role in the murky affair of the possible blackmailing of France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.
Youngster Jese will again stand in for Benzema.
Sevilla, who have injury problems of their own, are 11th in La Liga - and struggling in the Champions League after Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City. “It is true that don’t seem to be in good form, but there is never a good time to visit Sevilla, to be honest,” Real captain - and former Sevilla product - Sergio Ramos said.
Also on Sunday, fourth-placed Atletico Madrid welcome Sporting Gijon, and Athletic Bilbao host Espanyol.
Saturday’s big game sees third-placed Celta Vigo at home to troubled Valencia, who are seventh.
Valencia’s woes continued Wednesday with a 1-0 Champions League loss at Gent. Defeat in Vigo could be the final nail in the coffin of coach Nuno Espirito, whose feud with striker Avaro Negredo has been dragging on for a month now.
“Negredo will return to the team when I consider it appropriate, not a moment sooner nor later,” the defiant Nuno said.
Saturday’s other matches are Levante v Deportivo Coruna, Eibar v Getafe, Rayo Vallecano v Granada and Malaga v Real Betis, with Las Palmas v Real Sociedad scheduled for Friday.
A defeat at Las Palmas could spell the end of David Moyes’ 12-month spell at Sociedad. His troubled team is fifth bottom, just three points above Las Palmas, Granada and Levante.