Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen will be sidelined for approximately three months after undergoing surgery to address a persistent back issue, the German international confirmed via Instagram on Thursday.
“Today is a personally difficult day for me. Physically and athletically, I feel in very good shape, although unfortunately I am not free from pain,” Ter Stegen shared.
“After discussions with FC Barcelona’s medical team and outside experts, surgery has been deemed the fastest and safest path to full recovery.”
The 33-year-old also reflected on his prior back operation, noting he returned in just 66 days. However, this time, doctors recommend a longer recovery period of around three months to minimize the risk of complications.
Barcelona, who signed Espanyol’s Joan Garcia earlier this summer, is expected to make him the club’s first-choice goalkeeper during Ter Stegen’s absence, with Wojciech Szczesny likely serving as backup.
Meanwhile, reports from Spanish media suggest Barcelona may be looking to offload Ter Stegen to free up salary space and register new signings, including Garcia and Marcus Rashford.
In a similar situation last summer, Barcelona leveraged a La Liga loophole to register Dani Olmo temporarily after defender Andreas Christensen suffered a long-term injury.
“Emotionally, it hurts a lot not being able to support the team during this time,” Ter Stegen added.
“But don’t worry — I’ll be back. The rehab is manageable, and I’m committed to returning stronger.”
With the German shot-stopper out until late October or early November, Barcelona’s goalkeeping structure — and financial strategy — could look very different by the time he returns.
