Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has said Marc-André ter Stegen will need to start for Barcelona after his recovery from surgery if he wants to continue as the country’s No. 1.
Barcelona’s long-term goalkeeper and captain, Ter Stegen had a successful operation on his lower back this week but faces a challenge to keep his place in the team after Barça signed goalkeeper Joan García last month from Espanyol.
“He’s our No. 1 if he’s fit and if he’s No. 1 at his club,” Nagelsmann said of Ter Stegen to Sky Germany.
“If he returns to being his club’s first-choice goalkeeper, he can certainly be our first-choice goalkeeper, because he deserves it, but the necessary conditions must be met, just like any other player.”
Barça did not specify how long Ter Stegen will be sidelined for.
Reports in Spain say the Catalan club will submit a report to LaLiga’s medical committee stating that Ter Stegen will be out for four months. Barça could have at least 50% of the player’s salary freed up for registration purposes under LaLiga’s injury provision, a rule that applies if a player is sidelined for at least four months.
However, Ter Stegen, 33, said ahead of the surgery that doctors recommended a recovery time of around three months.
Nagelsmann said he expects Ter Stegen to return before the end of the year.
“In my mind, I know Marc will be back in December,” he said. “He’ll play both games [for Germany] in March, in June as well, and then he’ll play in the World Cup.”
Ter Stegen, who in 2023 was out for 66 days because of another back operation, missed the majority of last season with a knee injury, which prompted Barça to sign Wojciech Szczesny.
Szczesny, who came out of retirement to sign for Barça, recently signed a new two-year deal with Barça to provide cover for Garcia.
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A source told ESPN that Barça were open to Ter Stegen leaving this summer following the arrival of García, but the player was reluctant to depart.
Ter Stegen’s aim is to be fit again and to compete for the No. 1 shirt with the hope of also being Germany’s goalkeeper at the World Cup.
Ter Stegen joined Barça from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014 and has been the team’s undisputed No. 1 since 2016.
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