CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Why is Marc-Andre Ter Stegen not playing for Barcelona today against Young Boys in the Champions League?
The German goalkeeper will not feature for FC Barcelona any time soon.
Barcelona are aiming to put their Champions League slip-up against Monaco behind them as they take on BSC Young Boys (Tuesday October 1, 2024, 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.) in match day two.
However, they will have to do so without one of their star players, as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is currently out of action with injury. After landing awkwardly, the German goalkeeper went down in the first half of the LaLiga game against Villarreal CF, and was taken off the pitch on a stretcher.
Tests were carried out after the match which determined the worst: Ter Stegen would not play again this season.
What injury does Ter Stegen have?
The diagnosis was a patella tendon rupture, which generally keeps players out for anywhere between 6 to 9 months. As for Ter Stegen, he will likely not play for the club again this season. The club, in an official statement, said that the player had “undergone a successful surgical intervention on the patella tendon injury in his right knee by Dr. Joan Carles Monllau under the supervision of the Club’s Medical Services at Barcelona Hospital”.
Who will Barcelona sign to replace Marc-Andre Ter Stegen?
The Catalan club have played Iñaki Peña in Ter Stegen’s absence, with the young goalkeeper stepping in from his regular position on the bench. But that’s not all: the club are reportedly set to sign former Arsenal and Juventus stopper Wojciech Szczęsny to replace the German and give the club more security behind the back line.
This season, the Barça captain had started every game and his appearance against Villarreal was his 289th for the azulgrana, putting him into third of all-time appearance makers for goalkeepers at the club.
Barcelona’s game against BSC Young Boys will be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday October 1, 2024. It’s scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States can watch the game on Paramount+, ViX and fubo, which offers new users a free trial.