FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen is out for a long time - Garcia as the new number one!

FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen is out for a long time - Garcia as the new number one!

Concerns about the goalkeeping position at FC Barcelona are becoming ever greater. Marc-André ter Stegen is now officially classified as a long-term injured player due to back surgery. This decision allows the club to register the newly signed Joan Garcia for the upcoming league games. Since his signing in June, Garcia has been considered the new number one in goal for the Spanish giants. How Northern Courier Reportedly, this was urgently needed for Barcelona as Ter Stegen will now be out for a few months.

The exact duration of the injury caused some dispute between the club and Ter Stegen. The 33-year-old goalkeeper needed around three months to fully recover following back surgery last month, while the club pushed for a longer long-term injury classification. Like the news agency AP News confirmed, the league's medical committee found that Ter Stegen's injury met the criteria for a long-term injury, which brings a significant financial benefit to the club.

Financial implications for the club

This classification is particularly important for the financial situation of FC Barcelona. The club can use 80 percent of an injured player's salary in a period to make new signings without breaching financial fair play rules. The registration of Joan Garcia, who came from Espanyol Barcelona for around 25 million euros, will be formally completed the following day.

Problems between Ter Stegen and the club escalated when he initially refused to sign the required medical report to forward to the league. As a result, Barcelona opened disciplinary proceedings and briefly stripped him of his captain's armband. After Ter Stegen finally agreed to sign the report last week, he was able to get his captaincy back.

The player's challenges

In recent months, Ter Stegen has struggled with persistent injuries. He missed almost all of last season with a knee injury and has already been sidelined for two months in 2023 due to another back operation. As a result, Iñaki Peña and Wojciech Szczęsny were in goal last season, while ter Stegen was rehabilitated.

“The last few months have been particularly challenging for me, both physically and personally,” explained ter Stegen after his return to the team. He also emphasizes that he never wanted to see the problem surrounding his injury as an obstacle for the club and wants to be back in action as quickly as possible.

Injuries in football are a big issue safety.sport shows, often occur in the lower extremities. Training and warm-up programs are crucial to minimize the risk of injury. It remains to be seen how Barcelona will overcome this challenge in the new season, especially with the new goalkeeping competition.