Ter Stegen played a prominent role in the match between Barcelona and Villarreal this past Sunday, September 22, but in the worst possible way. During a corner kick, the goalkeeper jumped to catch the ball sent in by Villarreal’s Álex Baena. As he fell to the ground, he immediately clutched his face in pain. The cameras soon captured the abnormal position of his knee, a frightening sight. Just yesterday, it was confirmed that the German goalkeeper suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee, an injury that has ended careers before, such as Ronaldo Nazario’s in 2000, which kept him sidelined for 8 months.
“Marc Ter Stegen has a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee. This afternoon he will undergo surgical treatment. At the end of the intervention a new medical report will be provided,” reads the Barcelona statement.
Therefore, while awaiting the club’s official confirmation of his recovery time following surgery, the player is expected to be out for around eight months. This would mean saying goodbye to the 2024-25 season.
One of the three goalkeepers who are already in the squad or the need of a new one in January, what will Barcelona do?
Flick’s squad is not overloaded with players. They are already dealing with the injury of Gavi, whose return is imminent, Ronald Araújo, who still has some time left before he can play again, and Dani Olmo, who was injured last week—key absences that the “Blaugrana” club is already facing. The loss of their number 1 goalkeeper is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, leaving Barça’s goalkeeping situation full of uncertainty. Can we trust Peña and Astralaga? Or do we need to sign someone? Those are the two big questions in Barcelona right now.
Iñaki Peña had to step into this role last season for several months when Ter Stegen injured his back. He played a total of 17 matches and conceded 32 goals, averaging nearly 2 goals per game, a high rate. These 32 goals included matches like the 2-4 loss against Girona and the 3-5 defeat at Montjuïc against Villareal in La Liga, as well as the 1-4 loss to Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and the 2-4 defeat against Bilbao in the Copa del Rey. Not exactly a strong résumé for a second-choice goalkeeper.
Which goalkeepers would fit in mind in case of signing?
If Barcelona opts to sign a new goalkeeper, they have two options:
The first option is to immediately bring in a high-level goalkeeper who is currently a free agent. However, the list of available goalkeepers with experience at top clubs is not very long. Some proven options include Keylor Navas, Loris Karius, or Tomáš Vaclík.
The second option is to wait for the transfer market and sign or loan a goalkeeper within the club’s financial limits. This would also allow Barça to assess Iñaki Peña’s performance and decide whether they need an immediate starting goalkeeper or just a temporary backup for the young player.
CREDITS:
Director: Alejandro Bernal
Text : Max Hackenbroich
