Barça sets a date for Ter Stegen to undergo surgery

It hasn't been the best summer for Ter Stegen. A starter for Germany in both matches of the Nations League finals, he returned to Barcelona after completing 180 minutes. But he didn't return alone: he also did so with an uncertain outlook. On the one hand, his future in goal for Barcelona is in doubt following the arrival of Joan Garcia; on the other, he's suffering from persistent discomfort in his lower back that has prevented him from training with the group since the official start of the Blaugrana preseason on June 14.

The club's medical team has recommended surgery. They have even suggested the specialist they consider most suitable to perform the procedure: French doctor Amélie Léglise, who previously operated on him for the same condition in 2023. At that time, the lower back pain was caused by a herniated disc. Léglise works at the Centre de Chirurgie Endoscopique du Rachis in Bordeaux and is awaiting the goalkeeper's decision, as he is still evaluating whether to opt for conservative treatment or undergo further surgery.

The club wants to be operated on by Amélie Léglise, a French doctor who already operated on the goalkeeper in 2023 for lower back pain.

Barça has urged him to make a decision this week, as they don't want to delay what is expected to be a lengthy process. Should he undergo surgery, the club is expected to be out for between four and six months, which would keep the goalkeeper out until well into 2026. Furthermore, Dr. Léglise is going on vacation in August, so waiting another month would be counterproductive. This is especially true for the club, which sees the German's operation as an emergency solution to register the newly signed Joan Garcia.

Once the surgery is performed and a confirmed absence of more than four months is confirmed, Barcelona would have one month to register another player, applying Article 77 of the Club Budgeting Regulations, which relates to long-term injuries. Following the formula used last season with Szczesny replacing Ter Stegen, the club intends to use this rule to release 80% of his salary and thus register Joan Garcia. The German is still considering his options in a year that has been difficult for him and ahead of a crucial season in which he needs to play to be able to defend Germany's goal for the first time in the next World Cup.

Ter Stegen announced his return to work at Barça in advance, appearing at the training ground on July 10.

Despite all this, and after a summer marked by the arrival of Joan Garcia, which put him on the market, Ter Stegen brought forward his return to work at Barça, appearing at the training ground on July 10, the day after Joan Garcia also cut short his vacation to begin adapting to his new club . Barça's social media channels were filled with images of the Sallent-born goalkeeper training at the training ground. However, there were none of Ter Stegen.

The following day, July 11, Hansi Flick began his second year in charge of the first team and had a direct conversation with Ter Stegen—current captain and a player of the club for ten years—in which he informed him of his commitment to Joan Garcia. He also informed him that he had Wojciech Szczesny in mind, who had renewed for another season, with the option of a second. Meanwhile, Iñaki Peña, the fourth goalkeeper, is looking for a way out.

The German coach was clear: he believes Ter Stegen's departure would be positive for the club financially. But there are also doubts in the club's offices about whether the German would be willing to take on the role of substitute in a crucial season, in which he could play his first World Cup as a starter for Germany, provided he is consistently in the team.

The club considers Ter Stegen to be extremely competitive and recalls recent situations, such as when, at the end of his recovery last season, he rushed to want to return despite knowing that his return would mean the deregistration of Szczesny, a much-loved goalkeeper who was key in the Champions League , where Barça reached the semi-finals.

Given this context, Ter Stegen will not travel to the team's Asian tour, which begins tomorrow with three matches: the first against Vissel Kobe in Japan, and two friendlies against FC Seoul and Daegu FC in South Korea. He will not be the only one. Oriol Romeu, Andreas Christensen, and Pau Víctor are also aiming to stay in Barcelona. To manage their possible departures, Deco will also remain in Barcelona.