Atlético Madrid's crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona next week has been dealt a significant blow. The Rojiblancos will be without a key defensive piece as they look to protect their narrow 1-0 aggregate lead.

Full-back Marc Pubill, who has been a consistent presence in Diego Simeone's backline, received a yellow card late in the first half of the first leg at Camp Nou for a foul on Robert Lewandowski. This booking triggered a suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards in the competition, ruling him out of the return fixture at the Metropolitano.

This absence forces a tactical reshuffle for Simeone, known for his defensively rigid and disciplined setups. Losing a starting defender in such a high-stakes knockout tie is a major challenge, especially against a Barcelona attack eager to overturn the deficit. The pressure will be on Atlético's squad depth as they aim to secure a semi-final berth without one of their trusted starters.