The Debate Continues: Neuer or ter-Stegen for Germany's No.1?
By Shree Desai
In an interview with Sport1 Germany and Bayern Munich legend, Sepp Maier claimed that Manuel Neuer will be Germany's no.1 once again. The question that followed was..
"Marc-André ter Stegen is currently fighting for the number one spot in the German national team, but is currently injured. Who will be in the German goal at the European Championships?"
Sepp confidently replied, claiming that Neuer will be back in his old form.
"Manuel Neuer. Ter Stegen is a very good goalkeeper, but Manu is on the way to his old form, so there is no doubt who will be number 1 at the European Championships in Germany."
Manuel Neuer was absent for a total of 318 days or almost a year following a lower leg fracture. Ter-Stegen took the reins of the number one spot for the German national team in Neuer's absence.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned for the FC Barcelona goalkeeper, as a back injury made him unavailable until February 2024. The 31-year-old injured his back while training with Die Mannschaft for a few friendlies in November 2023.
Marc-André ter Stegen Injury Update and Past Injuries
After the back injury, ter-Stegen underwent a surgery under Dr. Amélie Léglise. The club's medical professionals were also present for the medical procedure. The surgery was successful and was conducted at Sports Clinic Bordeux Merignac.
The German goalkeeper has played 17 games so far this season and has conceded 15 goals. Reports suggest that the Mönchengladbach native will be out until February of the coming year.
The 31-year-old has previously been out for common occurrences such as stomach flu and cold where he missed only 2 games. Knee problems have been a major part of his career. Marc missed 33 games or almost a season's worth of matches due to knee-related injuries.
The German previously missed out on football due to back problems in 2014.