Barcelona will be desperate to put behind their 4-0 thrashing by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal first leg, when they travel to Athletic Bilbao in their La Liga game Saturday.
The Spanish giants are still reeling from that hammering, but can clinch the Spanish league title if they beat Bilbao Saturday at San Mames, and Real Madrid lose to their cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid later in the evening. Barcelona currently hold a 13-point lead at the top with six games to go, including the one on Saturday.
Tito Vilanova is likely to freshen up his squad ahead of the do-or-die second leg encounter at the Camp Nou Wednesday.
Lionel Messi, who only looked half fit against Bayern, might not be risked, while the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta are also likely to be rested.
"I don't care when we win it, but the sooner the better," Vilanova said of clinching the La Liga title. "I want us to be the champions.
"We are having an excellent league, I'm convinced that we're in the strongest league there is, and getting so many points shows that we are doing things right."
Vilanova also said he is feeling stronger every day after undergoing treatment for cancer in New York. "I feel strong, and health permitting, I'm looking forward to continuing in the job," he said. I feel well after all that I've been through, I didn't come back any earlier because there were some secondary effects.
"But I'm feeling better with every day and I was really looking forward to returning here. There were problems due to the distance. But in New York, my day to day life was generally good, and I was able to keep in contact with the team thanks to new technologies.
"If ever I get two days off, I don't know what to do. This job is no burden to me and the doctors told me that the best thing I could do was to work."
Athletic Bilbao, who are 14th on 36 points, will be without Aymeric Laporte and Ander Itturaspe, but Fernando Amorebieta and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta are expected to feature.
To watch Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona Live Stream for U.K. viewers, click here.
Expected lineups: Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz; Iraola, Ekiza, San Jose, Aurtenetxe; De Marcos, Gurpegui, Herrera; Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain.
Barcelona: Valdes; Montoya, Bartra, Abidal, Alba; Thiago, Song, Fabregas; Sanchez, Villa, Tello.
Prediction: 2-1 to Barcelona
