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Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen being taken off the field in a stretcher (AP)
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was taken off on a stretcher with a potentially serious knee injury.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to be stretchered off during the team’s LaLiga fixture against Villareal. The Catalan giants faced Villareal at El Madrigal on Sunday, September 22. While Barcelona were able to walk away with a 5-1 victory, they added another player to their already lengthy injury list this season. During the 48th minute of the fixture, Ter Stegen attempted to catch the ball following a Villareal corner by jumping up in the air. But the German shot-stopper ended up colliding with former Manchester United defender Eric Bailly before hitting the ground awkwardly.
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Following the landing, Marc-Andre ter Stegen immediately collapsed on the field and looked to be in incredible pain. Soon, several medics stormed the ground to check on the Barcelona goalkeeper. Unfortunately for the 32-year-old, he was unable to continue the game. Ter Stegen eventually had to leave on a stretcher with tears in his eyes. Hours after the injury, several reports from Spain emerged claiming the goalkeeper had damaged his right knee. He had undergone surgery on the same spot three years ago to treat his patellar tendon. There was a general concern that he had hurt himself in the same place. Further medical assessment will have to be conducted to determine the extent of the Barcelona goalie’s setback.
This is Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s 11th season at Camp Nou. He arrived in Barcelona 10 years ago from Borussia Monchengladbach. The LaLiga giants signed the German for a reported amount of £10 million transfer fee. He has made 420 appearances for Barcelona and conceded 412 goals with the Spanish side while maintaining a clean sheet on 175 occasions. In his 11-year tenure, Ter Stegen has won the league five times with Barcelona and a Champions League title in 2015.
In recent years, Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s fitness issues have resulted in a stretch of inconsistent performances from him. He recently made a blunder during Barcelona’s Champions League 2024/25 opener against Monaco. He tried to provide a through ball to Eric Garcia in the centre of the field. The pass led to a 10th-minute red card for the Spaniard. In the post-match conference, Hansi Flick defended the German international. “One of the strengths is being able to play with the ball at his feet, that’s his style of play. He has admitted a mistake, but I make mistakes, you make mistakes, we all make mistakes, he’s human. I hope that next time he has clear instructions, but for me it’s water under the bridge,” he said, as per multiple outlets.
With the ongoing season still in its early phase, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s absence could severely jeopardise Barcelona’s quest for their trophy hunt.
