National soccer goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is back in the FC Barcelona squad in the Champions League for the first time after his injury break. The 33-year-old had received the “green light” from the medical department, the Catalans announced before the game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday evening (9 p.m./Prime Video) in the Camp Nou.
Coach Hansi Flick had already announced the goalkeeper’s return at the press conference on Monday. However, the German coach also emphasized that it was “very clear” to him that Joan García would remain number one despite her return.
Ter Stegen played his last game for Germany in the game for third place in the Nations League against France on June 8th. At Barcelona he had stood between the posts for the last time a good two weeks earlier on the penultimate league matchday against Villarreal FC.
The league classified Ter Stegen as a long-term injury
The Spanish La Liga classified Ter Stegen as a long-term injury following his back operation in July, which meant he would be out of action for at least four months. Before the season, his number one status was revoked as a result of a dispute over the predicted downtime.
Given Ter Stegen’s ambitions to be in Germany’s goal at the 2026 World Cup, a change of club in the winter does not seem unlikely. According to national coach Julian Nagelsmann, regular appearances are the basic requirement for a nomination.
