Marc-Andre ter Stegen has handed Barcelona an injury concern as their clash with Villarreal saw him get subbed off just before halftime. The German goalie took a knock while trying to gather a deep corner-awkwardly falling as he backpedaled to catch the ball.
Clearly in distress, rolling on the ground and crying, the medical team came to his assistance immediately. The German goalkeeper was replaced instantly by backup goalkeeper Inaki Pena. The injury occurred soon after the Barça shot-stopper had pulled off an excellent save against Villarreal’s Pepe in a one-on-one situation.
The most discouraging part of the injury is that this has happened to Ter Stegen’s right knee, which had already given him some problems before. In 2021, he had surgery on a patellar tendon problem in that knee; that justifies fears that this new blow could signal the beginning of an old problem for the experienced goalkeeper.
And while in the next few days, a full assessment by the Barcelona medical team will be carried out, early indications are that this could be a serious injury indeed, raising the alarm among both sets of fans and the club regarding the further availability of Ter Stegen.
