Barcelona coach Luis Enrique guaranteed that Neymar will play in Saturday's huge top of La Liga table clash against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.
Both Barca and Atletico go into the game locked together on 48 points, although Luis Enrique's men have played a game less, with an inconsistent Real Madrid side four points back in third place.
Luis Enrique said that even though he doesn't see the match as potentially decisive in the title race, he will not risk leaving the star Brazilian forward on the bench.
"Neymar has a bruise. It would be equally imprudent to not play him," the coach told a news conference on Friday. "I would be caught and killed. I can assure you he will play."
Blaugrana talisman Lionel Messi came off the bench to score the winner in a 2-1 victory in early September's first meeting with Atletico this season, after Neymar had earlier scored a superb free kick to cancel out Fernando Torres' opener.
A similar result on Saturday for the Catalan outfit would therefore appear to put them in a commanding position to defend the crown they won last year, however the Blaugrana coach told his pregame news conference that he did not see things that way.
"No -- the teams up top are very close," Luis Enrique said. "It will stay the same. Regardless of the result, there is a long way to go. Any team can make things difficult for you. This will not decide anything -- for sure it won't."
Diego Simeone's Atletico have troubled Barca often through recent years, including when they eliminated the Catalans from the 2013-14 Champions League and clinched that season's La Liga title at the Camp Nou.
However, Luis Enrique has won all five of their meetings since he took charge just over 18 months ago, something he put down to his players having been "almost perfect" in all aspects of play over each of these games.
"The numbers are there, that's true, the results show it," he said. "But we must forget about that. We were superior, our players have been almost perfect in both defence and attack. If we drop either of those parameters, Atletico will have chance to beat us, as they did in previous years. To beat them we will have to be as we were -- create lots of chances, be good in transitions, avoid problems at set-pieces. We will have to play very well."
Barca's Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Arda Turan, who were suffering with flu ahead of Wednesday's 2-1 Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg win against Athletic Bilbao, are all available for Saturday's game.
Jordi Alba, who pulled a hamstring in Jan. 17 La Liga 6-0 win over Athletic, has returned to full training and could also feature, while Neymar is fine to play even though he picked up a painful knock when scoring late in the Copa return game against the Basques.
"Neymar and Jordi Alba are perfect," Luis Enrique said. "[Neymar] got a bang on his foot, but that will not stop him playing."
The Asturian coach was less certain when asked if he expected Barca to sign any reinforcements before the January transfer window closes on Friday, with expected moves for Celta Vigo's Nolito and Villarreal's Denis Suarez looking stalled now.
"Whether we can reinforce or not, we all want the same, to improve the side as much as we can in each window, even more when we are winning," Luis Enrique said. "There are lots of factors involved -- negotiations, with players, with other clubs. The club [hierarchy] and I want the same. Things can change right until window shuts. But for the moment what concerns me is tomorrow's game."
Luis Enrique also dismissed a number of questions about Neymar's future, with the 23-year-old's interviews this week having not fully put to rest speculation of interest from Real Madrid. Asked whether the club were reviewing all of Neymar's contract details as per the player's request, Luis Enrique insisted it was so.
"[If he wants all the details renewed] Then we shall look at everything so that he will have many years remaining with Barca. I said he would sign a new contract, didn't I? When he renews, remind me of it," Luis Enrique said.
Asked what he thought of Neymar's comments on Thursday that he would someday like to play under outgoing Bayern Munich and former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique said: "He has great taste."