Barcelona Goalkeeper Ter Stegen To Undergo Surgery For Knee Injury

Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is set to undergo surgery after rupturing a tendon in his knee, the club announced on Monday. The injury could potentially rule the team’s captain out for the remainder of the season.

The 32-year-old German international was stretchered off during Barcelona’s 5-1 win against Villarreal on Sunday, after landing awkwardly.

“Ter Stegen has suffered a complete rupture of the patella tendon in his right knee,” Barcelona confirmed in a statement. “He will undergo surgery on Monday afternoon, and further updates will be provided afterward.”

The injury occurred just before halftime at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica. This comes after Ter Stegen had faced criticism for an error in Barcelona’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Monaco the previous Thursday.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed concern after the game, stating, “It looks like a serious injury. You could see it as soon as he went down.”

Inaki Pena stepped in to replace Ter Stegen and is likely to continue as Barcelona’s primary goalkeeper, although the club may consider signing a backup. Flick, however, declined to discuss any potential replacements, emphasizing the focus on Ter Stegen’s recovery. “He’s our captain and a key player for us,” Flick added.

Ter Stegen recently played for Germany in two Nations League matches, following Manuel Neuer’s retirement from international football in August.