Barcelona are marching their way towards what could be a thrilling end to the 2024/25 campaign, as they lead the La Liga title race and remain in the hunt for the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey. Amidst their hunt for a European Treble, the Spanish side have received a boost regarding Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barcelona Receive Major Marc-Andre Ter Stegen Boost
What Did Hansi Flick Say About Ter Stegen?
The German goalkeeper has only been able to make seven appearances for Barcelona this season, in which he was able to keep one clean sheet. He sustained a horrible knee injury in his side’s 5-1 win over Villarreal on 22 September (2024), which caused him to undergo surgery and spend a major period on the sidelines.
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Barcelona were also forced to sign Wojciech Szczesny to improve their goalkeeping options because of Ter Stegen’s absence. However, the German goalkeeper is now “ready'”, as Hans-Dieter Flick stated: “Ter Stegen is ready. We have to talk about what we want to do. So we have to wait and decide when the right time is for him to come back.”
Ter Stegen Faces Stern Challenge for Barcelona Role
It won’t be an easy return to action for the 32-year-old goalkeeper because he now faces major competition for that position from Szczesny. The Polish goalkeeper has made that goalkeeper position his own at the club, winning 23 of his 24 appearances with the La Liga heavyweights.
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Not just that, but Szczesny has also kept 12 clean sheets in his stint with Flick’s side so far this season and seems to have the manager’s utmost faith. Ter Stegen will need to strongly outperform the Polish goalkeeper in training to have a chance of displacing him from that No. 1 spot in the team. The German goalkeeper, who is rumoured to be on a £104,000-a-week wage package, will be itching to get back into action knowing Barcelona’s big matches ahead, which include an El Clasico against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and UEFA Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan.
