Khaberni - Saturday marked exactly four months since German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen underwent back surgery, amid uncertainty about the final date for the player's return.
A report from the Spanish newspaper "Sport" (which confirmed its information from sources close to the club), revealed that the actual developments of the goalkeeper's recovery are progressing according to the timeline originally estimated by Barcelona, not according to the duration announced by the player.
The report highlights a severe crisis that erupted between the goalkeeper and the club regarding the duration of the injury, where Stegen initially announced that his absence would not exceed "three months," which prevented the club from declaring it as a "long-term injury" and thus freeing up part of his salary to register the substitute goalkeeper, Joan Garcia.
Details of the crisis and its developments:
Varying reports: Following the reoperation on July 29, an internal medical report confirmed that the absence period "would not be less than four months," which was later confirmed by the medical committee of "La Liga," allowing the club to use part of the goalkeeper's salary to register Garcia.
The conflict and the punishment: Ter Stegen initially refused to sign the club's report, leading to unprecedented escalation including opening a disciplinary file against him and temporarily stripping him of his captaincy.
Temporary de-escalation: The tension subsided after a few days, as Stegen signed the report and issued a letter defending his position, leading to the closure of the disciplinary file and the immediate restoration of the captaincy.
The report concluded that the actual recovery of the goalkeeper, who began training alone on the field, is heading towards a total absence of five months, confirming Barcelona's medical estimates from day one, and leaving the future of the goalkeeper, despite his contract running until 2028, "prepared for divorce" possibly in the form of a loan during the winter transfer market.
