Barca will be eyeing seventh consecutive victory in all competitions when they face their city rivals this weekend.
And that is the only thing on Luis Enrique's mind despite having a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League game against PSG to come three days later.
The Catalan giants and the French champions are already assured of a place in the last 16, but top spot will be up for grabs at Camp Nou.
But coach Luis Enrique will not rest players ahead of that encounter when his side face Espanyol.
"There is nothing we can do about PSG at the moment, our focus is on tomorrow and putting the strongest XI out," he said. "That is the only game that will influence my selection.
"It is not the kick-off time I would have liked, the more days to prepare for the game the better, but television pays the bills."
Luis Enrique expects a tough clash with their neighbours in La Liga, despite Barca already holding a 17-point advantage ahead of the match.
"They are always nice games, games with a lot of intensity," he added. "It is an important and special game, the emotion is different in derby games but our objective is the same as every game.
"I've seen them play lots of different ways this season, experimenting with systems, with lots of options,
"It will be a good game, I think they will play defensively and on the counter attack, that is what they do best."
