Barcelona goalkeeper to miss more than just the match against Espanyol.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde delivered his pre-game press conference prior to the game against Espanyol. Among some of his talking points was the status regarding Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The German goalkeeper was already set to miss the Catalan Derby after dealing with discomfort in his knee. Initially, it seemed like he would only miss one game but that is no longer the case.
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According to Diario Sport, Valverde said,
"“He’s been dealing with a problem in his tendon for a while and at a certain moment we saw that he may miss some time and that time is now. He won’t be available tomorrow and for the Super Cup it’s complicated. After, we hope he’ll be ready.”"
As Valverde said, Ter Stegen has been dealing with the injury for a while now but it has allowed him to play.
However, since he is going to need more time to recover, rumors have surfaced that he might need surgery.
According to AS, in response to those rumors, Valverde said,
"“I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. But that’s an option we haven’t spoken about. We hope that the pains will gradually subside on their own.That’s why we haven’t taken any extreme measures.”"
While Valverde is trying to remain hopeful, that this has been a nagging injury does raise some alarm bells. Should he eventually opt for surgery, Ter Stegen reportedly would get it after the 2020 Euro tournament.
Fortunately for Barcelona, they have a more than competent back-up in Neto who they acquired from Valencia. Not only will he get a chance in the league but the Spanish Super Cup as well.
Still, an injury to one of their more important players, aside from Lionel Messi, is not how the Catalans wanted to start off the second-half of the season.