Barcelona (AFP) – FC Barcelona and Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, will undergo surgery on Monday and will likely be out for the rest of the season, forcing his club and national team to quickly find a replacement.
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” On Monday afternoon, (he) will undergo surgery ” and more information will be provided later, Barça wrote in a statement on Monday about its 32-year-old German international, who was injured the day before during the victory (5-1) in the Spanish championship on the ground of Villarreal.
Ter Stegen was carried off on a stretcher seconds before half-time after falling badly after catching a ball from a corner. Inaki Pena replaced Ter Stegen and is expected to take the German’s place, but Barca could look to recruit a replacement.
The Spanish press is already mentioning the names of Costa Rican Keylor Navas, free since this summer and the end of his contract at PSG, and German Loris Karius, who was not kept by Newcastle. Three goalkeepers who have already been with the club, Spaniards Jordi Masip and Edgar Badia, and Chilean Claudio Bravo, 41, who announced his retirement at the end of August, are also mentioned.
Arriving in Catalonia in 2014 from Borussia Mönchengladbach, ter Stegen won the 2015 Champions League as well as five La Liga titles and five Spanish Cups with FC Barcelona.
The Nübel Option
Ter Stegen’s absence also disrupts the plans of German coach Julian Nagelsmann, who promoted him to number 1 goalkeeper of the Mannschaft at the beginning of September before the opening of the Nations League, after 12 years of waiting in the shadow of Manuel Neuer.
Neuer decided at the end of August to retire from international football at the age of 38, finally leaving the field open to his understudy, who at 32 only has 40 caps for the German team compared to 124 for his elder.
In his first two matches as a starter, ter Stegen kept a clean sheet against Hungary (5-0) before conceding two goals against the Netherlands (2-2) in the Nations League.
” The news of Marc’s injury came as a big shock to us. We will miss him a lot in the national team, on and off the pitch. ” reacted Nagelsmann.
” Marc has already had to face several setbacks during his career. This time again, he will come back stronger, I am convinced of it. “, commented Rudi Völler, the national team’s sporting director.
For the Mannschaft, it is an opportunity to test Alexandre Nübel, (already) 28 years old, under contract until 2029 with Bayern Munich and loaned to Stuttgart, where he is playing in the Champions League this year.
Furthermore, no one at the German federation has mentioned a possible return of Manuel Neuer, who will be 40 in 2026 during the World Cup organized in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the next objective of Nagelsmann’s men.