Eibar vs Barcelona preview: Ernesto Valverde focused on ending La Liga blip ahead of Chelsea clash

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde insists he is focused on ending his side's poor La Liga form at Eibar on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm GMT), rather than Champions League opponents Chelsea.

Eibar host the unbeaten La Liga leaders at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium (kick off 3.15pm) and Valverde's men boast a seven-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.

But Barca have shown signs of fatigue in league draws against Espanyol and Getafe, with Tuesday's trip to Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16 now just a few days away.

"It is more mental than physical, the weeks when you have four days' rest you can manage better than three," Valverde said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"We will have three before we take on Chelsea and Chelsea will have four. That day extra, to have a break from the pressure of staying in the cup is good to have.

"But in terms of important games, the one on Saturday is also and we are not thinking about Chelsea. The week was free and now we have games again after each other.

"We need to get going again and after the Getafe game this is now even more important."

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Atletico have closed the gap in the past fortnight with wins over Valencia and Malaga, while Eibar have lost only one of their last 12 games in the competition, a 1-0 defeat to Atletico at Ipurua in January.

Valverde added: "When you start thinking about margins for error then it is the first step towards losing it.

"If you look at the table and see the points then it is clear that we can afford to lose. But that is a mistake to look at it that way, we need to always go into the next game trying to be strong.

"What we have said from the start of the season is that there is a long way to go and it is never easy to pick up three points, more so than people think.

"I like the spirit in this team, how they overcome problems and the way they don't look too far ahead."

Team news

Seventh-placed Eibar are without injured pair Seri Enrich and Fran Rico while defender Paulo Oliveira is doubtful.

Samuel Umtiti returns from suspension and is expected to feature but Barcelona could hand Lionel Messi another rest ahead of the trip to face Chelsea.

Thomas Vermaelen is the only absentee and Valverde is expected to field a strong starting line-up.

Opta stats

• Barcelona have a perfect record against Eibar, having scored 26 goals in their previous seven meetings.
• Lionel Messi has 12 goals in six games against the Basques, his best scoring average against any opposition.
• Seventh-placed Eibar have lost only once in 10 league games, and thrashed Sevilla 5-1 in their last home fixture.
• Manager Jose Luis Mendilibar will be in charge of Eibar for the 100th time in La Liga. He has won 36, drawn 24 and lost 39 so far.
• Mendilibar has won only one of his 16 games as a coach against Barcelona in La Liga, a 3-2 victory with Osasuna in February 2012.

La Liga Highlights: Barcelona

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