Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has left Barcelona’s training camp in Saudi Arabia and returned to Spain for medical evaluations after sustaining an injury during practice on Tuesday, as confirmed by the club.
The 33-year-old has faced a series of injury challenges over the past two years, missing a significant portion of last season due to a knee issue and starting the current season following back surgery.
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During Ter Stegen’s absence, Joan García has taken over as the club’s primary goalkeeper. Sources indicate that Barcelona is open to allowing Ter Stegen to leave in January as he seeks more consistent playing time ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
While the severity of Ter Stegen’s injury has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear if it is connected to his previous knee surgery, any extended recovery could hinder a potential transfer this month.
As Ter Stegen recovers, Diego Kochen, the United States Under-20 goalkeeper, will travel to Jeddah to serve as backup to García and Wojciech Szczęsny for Wednesday’s Supercopa semifinal against Athletic Club.
Since joining from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014, Ter Stegen has made over 400 appearances for Barcelona, but he has only featured once since recovering from his back issues in December.
His sole match was during the Copa del Rey victory against Guadalajara. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has explicitly stated that García, who was signed for €25 million from Espanyol last summer, is now the starting goalkeeper.
This situation places Ter Stegen in a challenging position given the upcoming World Cup.
Interest from La Liga side Girona has emerged regarding a potential signing this month, but financial considerations regarding Ter Stegen’s substantial salary are complicating any possible move, even if it were to be a loan.
Barcelona arrived in Jeddah on Monday in preparation for Wednesday’s semifinal against Athletic, with the winners set to face either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid in the final on Sunday.