FC BARCELONA
Why is Marc-Andre Ter Stegen not playing for Barcelona today against Sevilla in LaLiga?
Hansi Flick is still relying on his Iñaki Peña, his second goalkeeper, for Barcelona’s games while Ter Stegen recovers from injury.
FC Barcelona welcome back some injured players but they are still without Marc Andre Ter Stegen as he recovers from an injury sustained in the LaLiga game against Villarreal earlier in the month, forcing Hansi Flick to rely on Iñaki Peña.
The German went down awkwardly after catching a seemingly simple cross into the box and within minutes he was stretchered off the pitch and taken for medical examinations. The results came back and Barcelona were given the worst possible news: he would be out for the rest of the season at least.
WATCH: Barcelona vs Sevilla | LaLiga | 20 October | 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT
What injury does Ter Stegen have?
The diagnosis was a ruptured patellar tendon, which typically sidelines players for 6 to 9 months. An official club statement said that he “underwent successful surgery on the patellar tendon injury in his right knee, performed by Dr. Joan Carles Monllau under the supervision of the Club’s Medical Services at Barcelona Hospital.”
While Barcelona have, as mentioned, turned to substitute goalkeeper Iñaki Peña as their immediate backup, it is not the only step they have taken to maintain solidity behind the defensive line.
Former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny came out of retirement to sign for the club and he is expected to, at some point, take over from Peña in between the sticks for the blaugrana. For now, however, Flick is set to use the Spaniard as the stop-gap in Ter Stegen’s absence.
The LaLiga matchday-10 game between Barça and Sevilla will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic (Barcelona), on Sunday 20 October, 2024. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States can watch the clash on ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes. Your streaming options also include the online platform fubo TV, which offers new users a free trial.