The Marc-André ter Stegen saga at Barcelona continues, with the club captain announcing that he’ll undergo back surgery in the coming days.
The German goalkeeper has been dealing with back pain ever since he featured for his country in the UEFA Nations League finals in early June. After days of speculation about possible alternative treatments, Ter Stegen won’t be able to avoid going under the knife.
Ter Stegen took to social media to announce his decision to have surgery and thanked Barcelona fans for their support.
Dear Culers,
— Marc ter Stegen (@mterstegen1) July 24, 2025
I wear the colors and jersey of FC Barcelona with great pride, whether on or off the pitch, in moments of success and in difficult times. Today is a personally difficult day for me.
Physically and athletically, I feel in very good shape, although unfortunately I…
“Today is personally a difficult day for me,” Ter Stegen wrote. “Physically and athletically, I feel in very good shape, although unfortunately I am not free from pain. After intensive discussions with the FC Barcelona medical team and external experts, the quickest and safest way for me to fully recover is through back surgery.”
New signing Joan García is touted to be the next long-term goalkeeper and should start. Wojciech Szczęsny is another option after renewing his contract on the back of three trophies last season.
“After my last operation on my back, I returned to the pitch after 66 days—almost two months; this time, the doctors believe about three months will be necessary as a precaution, to avoid any risks,” Ter Stegen added.
The three-month timeline Ter Stegen stipulates is no small caveat. García—the favorite to start in goal come 2025–26—still isn’t registered to play in La Liga because of Barcelona’s financial struggles.
Barcelona could exploit a rule that would allow them to offload 80% of Ter Stegen’s salary to register García, much like a year ago when the salary of the injured Andreas Christensen was used to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor.
For this plan to materialize, Ter Stegen would have to be sidelined for at least four months. If Ter Stegen is back in three months, then that plan goes out the window. Although Barcelona’s statement on their captain’s upcoming surgery doesn’t specify a return timeline, Ter Stegen’s claim raised more than a few eyebrows.
The Ter Stegen saga appears to be nowhere near its conclusion.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Captain Confirms Surgery Plan, Hints at Return Timeline.
