Marc-André ter Stegen is close to returning to Barcelona after missing the start of the season due to back surgery.
Barcelona had taken advantage of Ter Stegen’s need for more than three months of recovery to sign new goalkeeper Juan Garcia. With the German’s recovery, the Catalan club will have to find another way to re-register the former Espanyol goalkeeper.
Sport reported that Ter Stegen’s recovery is progressing well according to plan, and if things continue as planned, he could return to group training in late November or early December at the latest.
Ter Stegen will then return to Barcelona’s squad and be available to play in matches, while Juan Garcia will remain in the squad until the end of December. After that, Joan Laporta’s administration must re-register the Spanish goalkeeper in accordance with Financial Fair Play regulations.
During this period, Laporta’s administration hopes to find an economic solution and avoid a repeat of last year’s Dani Olmo scenario, when his registration almost failed had it not been for a decisive last-minute court ruling.
Ter Stegen’s return will undoubtedly pose a sporting headache for Barcelona, as the 33-year-old will want to play regularly to secure his place with the German national team at the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, coach Hansi Flick still prefers to rely on Juan Garcia as a starter and Szczesny as a backup goalkeeper.
Ter Stegen will most likely go out on loan to a club in Germany, England, or another major league. This could also help secure Juan Garcia’s registration, unless Flick makes any new decisions regarding who will be the Blaugrana’s starting goalkeeper for the remainder of this season.
