Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will have surgery on a ruptured knee tendon, potentially sidelining him for the remainder of the season, the club announced Monday.
The 32-year-old German international was stretchered off during Barcelona’s 5-1 victory over Villarreal on Sunday after falling awkwardly.
Barcelona stated, “Ter Stegen has a complete rupture in the patella tendon in his right knee.” He will undergo surgery Monday afternoon, with further updates expected afterward.
Ter Stegen, who faced criticism for a mistake in Barcelona’s recent 2-1 Champions League defeat to Monaco, suffered the injury before halftime against Villarreal.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick commented, “I think it will be a huge injury; you could see it directly when he was down on the field.”
Inaki Pena replaced Ter Stegen during the match and is expected to take over as the starting goalkeeper, although the club may seek to sign a replacement.
Flick noted it was too early to address that possibility, saying, “I just want to see how Marc is; he’s our captain and a very important player for us.”
Ter Stegen started two Nations League matches for Germany in September after the retirement of Bayern Munich veteran Manuel Neuer from international duty in August.
