According to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona‘s German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is making good progress in his recovery and is expected to return to normal training in April. This is an important positive sign for Barça.
Ter Stegen’s injury in review
In September last year, in a match against Villarreal, Ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury. At the time, a cross from the opposition made him attempt to jump high to catch the ball, but unfortunately, there was a problem with his body’s centre of gravity when he landed, causing his right foot to bear the full weight. This serious injury was once thought to potentially keep him out of all the remaining matches of the season.
Recovery progress: Training resumption in April, possible match debut in May
In recent months, the 32-year-old goalkeeper has been working hard on his rehabilitation. According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Ter Stegen is still training alone, but he plans to rejoin the Barcelona first team in early April.
Fabrizio Romano further confirmed that Ter Stegen’s recovery is very optimistic and he is expected to return to the field at the end of April or early May. If all goes well, the experienced goalkeeper may even play for the team in key matches at the end of the season.
Barcelona’s important schedule in May
For Barcelona, the May schedule is very dense, including many key matches:
- against Real Valladolid
- the national derby against Real Madrid
- the Catalan derby against Espanyol
- another match against Villarreal
- a tough match against Athletic Bilbao
In addition, if Barcelona can qualify for the Champions League final, Ter Stegen is also likely to be included in the squad to help the team.
Current situation: Szczesny is doing well, and Barcelona is going all out to win the treble
While Ter Stegen is out, the Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has become the starting goalkeeper for Barcelona. He has performed very well and helped the team remain competitive in all competitions. Currently, Barcelona is at the top of the La Liga table and is competing for three major titles:
- La Liga: leading the table and in a good position to win the championship.
- Champions League: has reached the quarter-finals and will soon face Borussia Dortmund.
- Copa del Rey: The first leg of the semi-final against Atletico Madrid ended in a 4-4 draw, so there is still hope of advancing.
Summary
Ter Stegen’s injury recovery has given Barcelona a boost. Although Szczesny is currently in top form, Ter Stegen’s return will undoubtedly provide the team with more options. If he can return at the end of the season, Barcelona’s chances of winning the treble will greatly increase.
