Marc-André ter Stegen was also not ready for the match against Atlético Madrid and, according to several Catalan media, the fear is spreading that it will be necessary to operate on the back injured keeper because he has not yet been ready.
The Barca keeper recently returned home from the German national team camp with back problems. The expectation was that it would be over quickly, but it has not turned out like that at all. The pain in the lower part of the back will not go away and this has meant that the German has been out in the last three games against Rayo, Porto and Atlético.
Ter Stegen has received treatment for the back injury, but it has not progressed as hoped. Therefore, it is now being considered that an operation is the only solution to get rid of the problem. The newspapers Sport and Mundo Deportivo agree.
Xavi was asked to comment on Ter Stegen’s condition when he held a press conference after the win over Atlético yesterday. “Marc has some discomfort in his back and we will have to see this week how things develop. When we have more to say, we will announce it. He has this discomfort that won’t go away, so we’ll see” it came from him.
Thus, Barca’s coach effectively kept all options open. Barca have no matches in the middle of the week, so there will be plenty of time to assess whether the German needs surgery or whether he needs to be given a little longer to recover.
In any case, everything suggests that reserve goalkeeper Iñaki Peña can look forward to more games. With the level he showed against Porto and Atlético in particular, it doesn’t look like any weakening of the team’s possibilities.
