Ter Stegen is out for the season. The 32-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper has an injury to the patellar tendon in his right knee, according to the first tests carried out at Vithas Castellón, the hospital where he was taken when he left the pitch at La Cerámica in the 46th minute of the first half against Villarreal. “It will be a serious injury, he has felt it, you have seen it,” was all that was said by Hansi Flick, the Barcelona coach, after Barça thrashed the yellow team at home. A sad victory for Barcelona. One more after Marc Bernal tore his ligaments in Vallecas. Barcelona has eight players in the infirmary. In addition to Ter Stegen and Bernal, Flick cannot count on Christensen, Araujo, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Fermín López and De Jong.
Ter Stegen came out to cut a cross and in the air he became destabilized after a clash with Bailly. When he stepped on it, his right knee became destabilized, which had caused so many problems for the German in the past, four injuries between 2015 and 2019, until he decided to undergo surgery in 2020. Without obtaining good results, he underwent surgery again in 2021. At Villarreal, Ter Stegen immediately felt the injury. This was demonstrated by his gestures on the La Cerámica pitch, as well as the attitude of his teammates, who immediately asked the Barcelona doctors to go onto the field. The Villarreal fans applauded the German goalkeeper, as he left the field on a stretcher. “The replacement for Ter Stegen?” they asked Flick. “I don’t like this question right after the game. First we have to see what happens with Marc. He is our captain. I am very sad about what has happened. Please understand that I don’t want to answer this question. I haven’t been able to speak to Ter Stegen,” the Barça coach said.
Barcelona, in any case, will have no other alternative than to bet on Iñaki Peña. Last season, the Barça youth player had already replaced the German in 17 games, when he had back problems. “It is difficult to say anything. He is in hospital. I hope it is as short as possible,” Lewandowski had hoped, when the Barça dressing room still did not know the extent of their captain’s injury. A new setback for a group that only has 22 players and that, against Villarreal, the most veteran outfield player on the bench was Pau Víctor (22 years old). There was also no lack of experience in the starting eleven: Sergi Domínguez (19), Gerard Martín (22), Pablo Torre (21), Pedri (21) and Lamine Yamal (17).
“The injuries to Bernal and Ter Stegen are an accident. We are doing well and the attitude is very good. We focus on playing football and doing what we have to do. And enjoying ourselves. I am very happy to be coaching this team,” said Flick, after the sixth victory in six games in La Liga. “For us, the victory is very important. Playing away and scoring five goals. And even more so in a week when we play every three days. It doesn’t matter how, the important thing is that we win,” added Lewandowski, Barcelona’s top scorer with six goals. “This season we look for more crosses into the area… As a striker, I am in my zone. Having more contact with the ball. I go down to play. If we play for the team, like today, we win 1-5,” added the Polish striker.
Lewandowski and Barça celebrate. They do it half-heartedly, Ter Stegen returned to Barcelona in a van and bids farewell to the season. A new problem for Flick: he loses the team captain and the player who acted as a cultural bridge with the group.
