Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has insisted that his side are fully focused on Sunday's La Liga clash with Deportivo La Coruna rather than next weekend's showdown with Real Madrid.
Madrid's involvement in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi - which saw them retain the trophy with victory over Gremio this afternoon - means that Barca could move 11 points clear of their bitter rivals with victory over Deportivo ahead of the first La Liga El Clasico of the season.
Should Barca then pick up another win at the Bernabeu it could all but end Madrid's title defence, but Valverde stressed that he is not looking beyond the next game.
"What we're thinking about doing is winning our game tomorrow. There's no point worrying about next week's game before thinking about tomorrow's game," he told reporters.
"I don't think [the Real match] has affected the players, they are concerned about tomorrow. So no, but no means whatsoever are we distracted by the Clasico."
Barca would also move six points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid with a win over Deportivo.
