Barcelona football club confirms that goalkeeper Ter Stegen has undergone back surgery
Marc-André ter Stegen, the German national team's goalkeeper and FC Barcelona's first-choice shot-stopper, has undergone a second back surgery in Bordeaux, France. The surgery was performed by Dr. Amélie Léglise at the French Sports Clinic Bordeaux Mérignac.
Ter Stegen, who was recently the German number one, is likely to be out at least until November. Spanish medical experts estimate that he will need to pause for at least three to four months, although Barcelona and its medical team project a longer recovery of around four months or more. The official recovery timeline is pending evaluation by LaLiga's Medical Committee.
This discrepancy—ter Stegen's optimism versus the club's more conservative estimate—is unusual, as clubs usually aim for the earliest safe return. Barcelona appears cautious, likely to avoid any risk of rushing the goalkeeper back prematurely. The longer recovery estimate might also benefit Barcelona's financial fair play situation, since if ter Stegen is out for four months or more, the club can use up to 80% of his salary to register new players like Joan García without breaching LaLiga salary cap rules.
Regarding transfer prospects, a move before the September 1 transfer deadline is effectively impossible given the injury and recovery timeline. His surgery and expected layoff rule out any outbound transfer in the immediate window.
As for his future with the German national team, no specific updates directly address this from the search results. However, a recovery period of three to four months implies he will miss significant club matches but could be ready for national duties later in the year or early next year, depending on his healing progress and fitness. Ter Stegen is a key figure for Germany, so a cautious rehabilitation approach likely aims to preserve his long-term performance for both club and country.
Meanwhile, legendary goalkeeper Sepp Maier has suggested a potential return of Manuel Neuer as the best solution for Ter Stegen's spot in the national team. The German national team's goalkeeping situation is uncertain due to Ter Stegen's injury and potential lack of playing time.
Ter Stegen has been dealing with injury problems for a long time, including a severe knee injury last season. He has only been training on the fringe of the squad since mid-July, and that too, alone in the gym, due to persistent back problems. Many clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus Turin, Galatasaray Istanbul, and AS Monaco, were interested in signing ter Stegen before the surgery.
The Spanish champions and cup winners, FC Barcelona, want to get rid of ter Stegen, also to save his high salary. Ter Stegen's injury and subsequent recovery may affect his playing time and his future with the club. Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann should try to convince Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer to return, according to Maier, to fill the void left by ter Stegen's injury.
In conclusion, ter Stegen's second back surgery has ruled out any near-term transfer and affected his prospects with the German national team. Barcelona is focusing on a full recovery and managing salary cap implications to register other players while Ter Stegen is out. The German national team's goalkeeping situation is uncertain, and a return of Manuel Neuer could be a potential solution.
- Ter Stegen's recovery from his second back surgery may take around four months or more, which places him on the sidelines until November at the earliest, affecting his participation in club and possibly national duties.
- Despite interest from several European leagues like Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus Turin, Galatasaray Istanbul, and AS Monaco, any potential transfer for Ter Stegen before his recovery is unlikely.
- With Ter Stegen's absence, legendary German goalkeeper Sepp Maier suggests a return of Manuel Neuer as the best solution for the national team's goalkeeping dilemma.
- As Ter Stegen recovers from his back surgery, FC Barcelona aims to use this period to manage their financial fair play situation by temporarily replacing his high salary with up to 80% of his earnings to register new players like Joan García without breaching LaLiga's salary cap rules.
